Legend of Spyro: Dragonriders' Destiny
by DrCr0ss0ver
Summary: A world where dragons don't talk, strange beings ride them, and with little gems; how will Spyro and Cynder deal with that situation? And with evil lurking around the corner, will they be able to defeat it, or make more enemies then need be? Rated T for: Violence, blood, light swearing, some love (no lemons), and others.
1. Chapter 1: Discovery

Welcome to a brand new series that has been in the works for a couple weeks now!

Within these past few days, returning to my old school schedule and it's been a bad couple days. So I apologise in advance if these scripts seem kinda choppy; my friends just go along and help with some grammar here and there. FUN FACT: this was originally chapters 1 and 2 separated, but I just decided to mash them together.

I'll be honest, I'm not sure if I will post a new chapter of _Dragonriders' Destiny_ , _Undertails (HIATUS), or something else_ yet. I have been so busy with work (and my school doesn't understand the concept of "giving out large amount of homework" (we had to go to a play that day, and they gave us about 5 things on that day…). Anyway, chapter one of this new series will now begin!

SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF _DAWN OF THE DRAGON_!

FYI: this does take place after DotD; for HTTYD, it's about a month since Season 4 ended (hopefully that will clear some confusion in the start). I do not own any of the main character! Only (if any) possible OCs!

Edit of 4/7/19: HI guys! my new series: Sonic Boom: Temporal Troubles is now available! Please check it out! Also, if you have any questions about Dragonriders' Destiny, PM to me! I'm making a QnA in the future about this series and I want to know your questions!

* * *

 **"YOU CAN NOT DEFEAT ME! I AM ETERNAL!"** Malefor screeched at the top of his demonic lungs as he fired a beam of dark energy towards Spyro and Cynder. The duo retaliated and fired their own beams of purple energy. The beams collided, starting an epic beam struggle. It took all the effort of Spyro and Cynder that it started to hurt more than the battle.

"Just… hold… on…" Spyro barely managed to speak out as the beam struggle continued. Then, the power of the 2 hero's energy overwhelmed that of Malefor's and struck him down. He recoiled back from the blast, doing summersaults until he crashlanded onto a nearby platform. Malefor struggled to get up as the 2 dragons approached him. Without warning, 5 ghost like dragons appeared underneath the rock he was standing on and hovered above him.

 **"WHAT IS THIS?"** Malefor beckoned his anger as the dragons circled him. His puzzlement got the better of him as at the last moment, he noticed the dragon apparitions had made a move. They shot under him and a purple-pink like aura emanated from below him. He noticed the ground was rising, no… he was sinking! They were pulling him down! Malefor tried to fly away, but the pull was to immense for him to move.

" **NNOOO-"** Malefor screeched his last word as the aura engulfed him completely, and dissipated. The planet then began to shake around Spyro and Cynder as the two were flying. Large spews of Magma entered the chamber all around them and cracks began to form The crystal rock where Malefor became trapped in began to glow a bright pink as Spyro and Cynder landed on the ground. Cynder landed on the ground with a hard thud. That battle had drained most of her strength, she barely had enough to move. Limping towards her companion, she approached her purple friend. He noticed her approaching out of the corner of his eye and turned toward her. He was hurt like she was, but didn't show any sign of pain.

Cynder gave a small sigh," Spyro, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Spyro looked at her with contempt," Don't be. It's over."

She looked above to the sky as the planet's broke apart and revealed the fiery sky, "so this is it?"

Spyro didn't say anything, he just closed his eyes and looked down. Was she right? Was this it? Is there any hope for the world? From deep in his mind, he heard a voice. It sounded like a whisper, but the voice… it sounded like… Ignitus? The voice carried on in his head.

" _Spyro… when a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world. His spirit lives on, binding itself with nature, offering hope for the future…"_ Ignitus' voice faded away as Spyro's eyes shot open with hope. A hope that will save the world. He looked forward with determination and got into a ready stance.

"I know what I need to do. Just get out of here Cynder," Spyro told his companion, but she refused with a look.

"Spyro, no… You don't have to do anything. Let's just go!" Cynder cried out, but Spyro looked at her in pure confusion.

"Where, Cynder? There'll be _nothing_ left! The world is breaking apart!" Spyro shouted as the sound of hot magma filled his ears. He looked at her with determination," But I think I can stop it. I think I'm _meant_ to." He looked into his friend's eyes, the look saddened, but she didn't show it. Instead, she just nodded with a compassionate smile," then I'm with you..."

Spyro closed his eyes and began to float in the air. He felt the Convexity all around him as he gathered all his strength to use it one last time. The aura around him grew and glowed a heavy pink, and he embraced it to fix the world. Before he expelled all his might, he heard one last thing from Cynder that made him happy, a small, but comforting "I love you…" before a immense blast of Convexity fired from him. It engulfed him, Cynder, and the world.

Slowly, steadily the planet began to return whole as chunks of land floated down to where they originally were; and with that, a mighty blast erupted from the planet, keeping it together forever.

Cynder shielded her eyes from the light that Spyro gave, and she thought Sparx made a good enough lamp. She got a glance of the world above her slowly coming down and covered the land. A sound caught her attention and she looked back at Spyro. All of a sudden, a large explosion of purple light erupted from Spyro and engulfed them both. Once it had settled, Cynder retracted her wings to see what happened. The cavern was closed off from the rest of the world, magma had stopped oozing out of the crust, and everything was still. She nearly jumped for joy until she remembered: Spyro… SPYRO!

Panic filled her eyes as she looked for her companion, but the only thing she found was a pile of rubble where he originally was. Limping as fast she could, she made her way toward the crystals. She began to frantically throw rocks out of her way as he looked for her mate. Every rock thrown added to her worry, as she continued to searched. After what felt like hours of searching, she noticed a horn sticking out of the rubble. Her eyes widened, Spyro… Cynder continued to uncover her comrade until she threw the last rock of of him. The sight of Spyro made her sick. He was badly injured, several areas of scales are gone and replaced with blood. His left arm was bending in a way that it shouldn't be. He was bruised and battered with blood covering him like the purple of his scales.

Cynder checked him for a pulse; he was still alive, still breathing… barely… Mustering up all her power, she attempted to pick him up, but a rumbling sound caught her ears. The ground beneath them began to rumble and parts of the crystal began to fall off.

"Oh, this is _not_ good, at all!" Cynder shouted with panic as the floor beneath them cracked. Then without warning, the crystal broke apart, sending Cynder and an Injured Spyro down in it. Cynder tried to fly out, but Spyro was too heavy to take with her. She screamed as she fell toward the magma below. Looking down at her mate and the magma, she took a breath and prepared for the impending doom. But an eerie white light appeared below them and engulfed the two falling dragons. Cynder looked at the light and was instantly knocked out, completely unaware of what had happened to the two, and what will become of them…

* * *

 _Berserker Island…_

It has been over a month since "Project: Shellfire", over a month since almost all was lost… Heather was on patrol with Windsheer, keeping an eye out for any potential sign of a future attack; even though it has been a month, she still had to remain alert. Windsheer gave a small screech, causing Heather to fade away from her thoughts.

"What is it girl?" Heather asked her scaly companion, who returned with a coo.

"I know, it's just been really hard with reconstruction. Knowing the fact it's still out there, and it might return," Heather gave an honest answer, but little did she know of the person behind her.

"SISTER!" a voice yelled out from behind her, nearly making her fall off her dragon. She and Windsheer turned to see Dagur riding his new Triplestrike, waving energetically.

Heather smiled and gave a sigh of relief, "Geez, don't do that, you scared me so bad there, bro."

Dagur gave a maniacal laughter,"I was known for that! So uh, anything new yet?"

"OH! No! Nothing here!" Heather put her hand on the back of her head," how goes reconstruction of the island?"

Dagur sighed with a sad expression,"not well, I'm afraid. It'll take at least 4 more months for us to fully repair the damage that was done." Heather looked down, which Dagur immediately noticed and flew to her side," cheer up sis! We'll be fine as long as Hiccup and the Dragonriders are there to back us up!"

Heather looked up and gave a soft smile,"Heh, yeah, your right. Say, wanna go for a ride? Might do us both some good." All Dagur did was give a thumbs up," Great! Catch me if you can!" and Heather took off at high speeds with Dagur in pursuit. The two spent an hour riding, laughing, and taunting as the chase was on. The two eventually landed on a nearby cliff side and had a happy chat, making general small talk.

"... Haha! Yeah, Broksov was known for that, wasn't he? It's a shame he didn't make it, he would've really like the remodeling," Dagur said, remembering all the times he had with his former berserker member; Heather just looked away in sadness. The two berserkers sat at the side for a few moments before Heather stood up.

"Well, we should probably get back home," Heather announced. Dagur nodded and hopped up instantly. He reached out his hand to help his sister up off of the ground. Heather felt her cheeks burning, but it wasn't present on her face as she reached to accept his hand. However, as the two riders got on their dragons, Windsheer rose her head in alert. Heather noticed this," what is it girl?" She didn't have to wait long on that answer as a small vibration could be felt under them. It was low, but it was there and present. Without warning, it stopped. The two looked at each other in confusion.

' _Probably just a small earthquake,'_ Heather thought to herself as she grabbed Windsheer's saddle. Out of nowhere, an explosion rocked the ground on front of them. The two quickly got up in the air to see where the source of the explosion came from. Heather looked at the sky and toward the ocean to see if there was any fireballs, but there was none.

"Uhh, sis? I think I found where the explosion came from!" Dagur's voice reached her ears as she flew off toward her brother. When she looked at what he was saying, she froze in confusion, but mostly terror. All the trees were pushed onto the ground, emanating a… purple glow? Toward the middle of the source was a crater, not deep but wide… and more purple glowing. There was smoke in the middle of the crater; something landed here, hard.

"Windsheer, roar," Heater commanded her dragon, and she did as she was told. Windsheer gave a screech that pushed the smoke away. As they saw the clearing in front of them, they saw something disturbing. The two continued to stare before Heather broke out of her transe. She turned to her brother and commanded," Send a Terrormail to Hiccup, now!"

* * *

 _On the Dragon's Edge…_

Hiccup was riding with Toothless to check on the stats of the volcano, yet to his surprise: nothing new, at all. His dragon gave a small coo, and he looked to face his best bud.

"I know bud, but we have to make sure it's still stable for us to live here!" Hiccup gave a small protest to his dragon, who roared back.

He sighed, Toothless was probably right, that was enough of monitoring a mountain. "Yeah, your right bud. We should meet up with the others back on the Edge and rest." Toothless didn't argue back as the two took off at high speeds towards Dragon's Edge. As they arrived to the meeting center, they saw Astrid and Stormfly sitting on the ledge watching the sunset.

Upon hearing the sounds of a night fury approaching, Astrid looked up to see Hiccup and Toothless arriving. She waved at them," Hey Hiccup!"

The two landed and Hiccup got off his dragon, and approached the viking.

"Hey, Astrid!" Hiccup replied, Astrid beckoned him to come with towards the meeting hall. Upon entering he saw that everyone was there: Fishlegs feeding Meatlug, Snotlout picking his nose, and the twins doing their shenanigans. They all saw Hiccup walking to the center of the room, and instantly faced him.

Hiccup sighed before saying," listen. I know that even though the Dragon Eye is destroyed, Viggo and Ryker are gone, we have to remain alert at all times, in case of any Dragonhunter attacks. Which is why I have gotten Trader Yohann to give me this," Hiccup placed down a map and everyone looked at it. There were marking of all sorts on a vast amount of island and island chains. Hiccup continued," These marking are the most heavily fortified Dragonhunter base locations that are known as of now. Each holds a vast arsenal of weaponry ready to take down anything that gets into their space unwanted, which is why-" Hiccup was cut off by a screaming Fishlegs. Everyone turned at the last second to see a Terrormail fly smack-dab in the middle of his face. Fishlegs sat up and grumbled something 'always in the face' before taking the paper off of the dragon's leg and reading it. After a few seconds, his eyes widened with everyone looking at him with a panicked expression. Hiccup was the first to speak up," what? What is it?"

Fishlegs lowered the paper and looked at him, still wide-eyed, "it's Berserker Island… Heather and Dagur, they want to show you something important," Hiccup took the paper and read it completely before rolling it back up and immediately ran to Toothless; as he was saddling up, Astrid ran to his side, confused.

"Hiccup! What's going on?" Astrid asked Hiccup, who didn't look at her directly.

"No time to explain now! Everyone! Saddle up! Were making an emergency run to Berserker Island!" Hiccup shouted at the riders, who all saddled up on their dragons. The Dragonriders took off and set their eyes on Berserker Island. Halfway there, Astrid flew close to Hiccup.

"Hiccup, what was in that letter? You're acting like if someone just died," Astrid asked her friend who looked back at her with eyes full of his concern.

"Heather and Dagur found injured dragons, but they can't identify them," Hiccup explained as everyone began to chatter amongst themselves. They took off from their base of operations and made way to Berserker Island. After a short flight, the riders arrived to the island, where they saw Heather and Dagur waiting for them.

"Brother! You made it!" Dagur exclaimed with joy as they landed close to the two Berserkers.

"Yeah, well, what's the situation?" Hiccup asked, getting straight to the point.

"I think it would be best if you would see for yourself," Heather chimed in. Hiccup gave a nod and Heather took off with Dagur and the Riders in pursuit. The Riders made it to a cliffside where many of the trees were knocked down. Most of them glowing purple in color. All of the Riders looked around in confusion as to what could of caused this. Hiccup continued to follow Heather as she guided them to a large crater. Hiccup looked into it and his eyes gazed upon something unusual. Within the crater lied 2 dragons, one was purple; the exact same kind as the trees were giving off and a male by the size of it body. The other was a black dragon and by the looks of it, female. The others caught the sight of the two dragons and were stunned, primarily by the purple one. Hiccup and Fishlegs landed next to the dragons to get a better examination of what they were dealing with.

Fishlegs pulled out a notebook, seemingly out of nowhere, and begs writing down what they noticed in it. They began their examination with the black dragon first. The black one was definitely a female. Black scales and some red on her wings and belly area. She had 6 silver horns, 3 per side, with the ones near her muzzle area smaller in size compared to the others. She had a razor like tail, sharp class more than likely. However, she also had them on her wings, too; predatory by the looks of it. There were… metal bracelets around her legs, one around her neck and tail, was it wearing it like jewelry? Fishlegs noticed that, too, and looked equally as puzzled. As for her in general, she looked battered like if they were fighting something massive, like a titan class. Some scales were missing and there were a few blood stains, but otherwise she looked fine. Her wings were slightly torn, but looks like it could heal in time.

They moved on to the purple dragon, who they took into curiosity, as well care. It's scales were purple and gold, which was something unusual for dragons. There was no known records of a purple and gold dragon, but there are unique colored dragons that roam the skies; might be one of them. It had 2 large, golden horns with smaller spikes running down it head toward its tail. The tail… it wasn't anything they had seen before, it looked sharp, but at the same time it looked like it had no use. The horns though looked like it was good for bashing. It was only a matter of time until they moved on to its physical condition. Many of his scales were gone, and replaced with blood stains. He was scarred, and his left arm looked definitely broken. Surprisingly, it was still breathing… just barely. He looked at Fishlegs, who was busy admiring the purple dragon's physiology. He gave a fake cough, which brought his attention back to the task at hand. He looked up toward the others.

"Alright gang! These dragons are in need of assistance, so we're gonna take them back to the Edge. Astrid, you and Fishlegs will take the purple one, it's very injured, so be careful. Snotlout, you take the other dragon. Ruff, Tuff! The three of us will escort the others incase if anything goes wrong. Now let's move out!" Hiccup commanded like a chieftain as he saddled back onto Toothless. Snotlout, of course, approached Hiccup with his bickering.

"Are you crazy? Letting wild dragons in the Edge? We don't even know what they can do!" Snotlout protested, but it didn't change Hiccup's mind.

"We can't just let them die!" Hiccup retaliated back with his facts.

"Fine, but if this turns bad, it's **your** fault, got it?" Snotlout gave in as he, Astrid, and Fishlegs picked up the dragons.

"Ok gang! Back to the Edge!" _'I just hope I'm doing the right thing here…'_ Hiccup told himself as they flew back to the Edge.

* * *

Like I said before, I'm sorry if these chapters seem crummy. I haven't been feeling like myself lately, and it's taking a huge toll on how I do things. I will still do my best to work on these stories, but I may still have to go to one per week. I'm sorry, blame my school (I already do for making me want to die).

 **Thank you for reading! Please help me out by R &R! It'll help me better understand where I am with this! :D**


	2. Chapter 2: Reawaken

Well, looks like im doing chapter 2 of this series. Hey, i'm not arguing against it, i put the last chapter at a point where it needs another.

I don't have much to say, just my usual things about school and it sucks and all that crap.

OK Chapter 2! Here we go!

* * *

On the way to the Edge, Hiccup and Fishlegs were talking up a storm while the rest of the riders were forced to hear the long conversation.

"Well, what do you think of them?" Hiccup asked, seeing the Fishlegs gears working inside of his head.

"Well, the purple one is not like anything we've ever encountered before in our records. As for the other, she has properties that surprisingly remind me of Grim Gnashers," Fishlegs' blabbering cause a groan to come from Snotlout. Hiccup shot Snotlout a glare before looking back toward his fellow dragon expert.

"What about their classes? Got anything for that?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, with this one here," Fishlegs commented while looking at the black dragon," it looks like more of a diversity. It has the body built for war, yet also for speed and stealth. It's wings and tails' edges makes me think of a sharp class, perfectly usable for slicing."

"Ok, but what about the metal it's wearing?" Hiccup inquired.

"Not sure. It could be wearing as jewelry, or another possibility is that these two escaped a Dragonhunter encampment, and these are bondages that haven't been removed yet," Fishlegs shrugged.

Hiccup sighed,"ok. Well what about this one?" Hiccup gestured to the bloody purple one that Fishlegs and Astrid were carrying.

"Hiccup, I'll be honest. I'm not sure about this one, health and feature wise. It looked like it came back from a battle with Odin himself. I wouldn't be surprised if it… passed. As for the features, I'm not sure about them either. It looked like a titan class, but I need more time. In its current state, I'm not sure if I can get anything off it," Fishlegs said solemnly as he looked down on the creature he was carrying.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this one heals, then we'll look about it's class structure," Hiccup reassured his Viking friend as they rode to the Edge. Something was just not right here… where did these two come from? It's not like they just appeared out of thin air, right? That's impossible… there's no way they cou-

"Hiccup!" A voice startled him out of his trance. He jumped at the voice, and looked to right to see Astrid calling for him.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked his lover.

"Hiccup, where do we place these dragons at while they heal? Even when they do heal, what about them then?" Astrid inquired.

"Well, you know how I was busy a couple weeks ago doing one of my 'projects'?" Astrid nodded," well, I was actually building a couple of dragon proof cages in the tunnel to the training dome. This was a just in case if we dealt with any hostile dragons and needed a place to keep them. And besides, the light from the dome should keep it bright enough for them to see, but seeing as their dragons. They will probably just try to burn everything in sight."

"Well, you do plan for everything don't you?" Astrid quipped.

"Yep. That I try to do," Hiccup gave a small laugh.

"There's the Edge!" Fishlegs cried out in excitement. Sure enough, Dragon's Edge came into view. Hiccup's mind raced as a plan was about to unfold.

"Ok! Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout! Take the the dragons into the underground cells, just in case they awake and become feral," he looked at the twins," uhh, Ruff and Tuff… you guys. You know what, just hang back and chill out or whatever you do."

The twins have a cheer, but Snotlout have a groan, "ugh, why do they get to lay back?" Hiccup just glared at him again, making Snotlout shut up. As they landed in the training dome, they began to set up the cell for the dragons.

* * *

Cynder's head was pounding, hard, it felt as if she was battling Malefor alone. Her hearing was masked with the ringing in her ears as she struggled to understand what's going on. While she couldn't hear anything right now, she did feel something's happening around her. Judging by the light bouncing, something was flying and was carrying her. Cinder tried to open her eyes, but she was so tired… where did this sudden tiredness come from? Problebly that fight from earlier... Slowly, she opened her eyes to the world around her. Everything was blurry, and she could tell she was squinting, but at least she could see. She was right, something was carrying her, and by the looks of it. It had to be a dragon. Her eyes slowly moved around as she saw other dragons around her, but still not well. She got a glimpse of a green dragon in front of it, with… 2 heads? Wait, what kind of dragon is that? What's going on here? She noticed 2 creatures on it, one riding each one of the heads. Before she could analyze them further, the ringing in her ears softened for a moment and she could hear a conversation in the works.

"...up! Wh.. ac.. em.. eal?" A voice barely carried in her head. As she was about to decipher the voices, the ringing in her ears increased massively and the pounding in her head began to hurt more. She cringed in pain as it came at full force. Using all her might, she looked around for someone in particular, and there he was. In the claws of 2 other strange dragons was a very injured purple dragon. Before she lost consciousness, she managed to whisper his name, yet no one heard it.

"S… py…ro…" was all she could muster, and the darkness consumed her once again.

* * *

 _Time jump brought to you by reading this line!_

It's been almost a day since these two dragons just showed up, and Hiccup was determined to find out what they are and where they came from. Early in the morning, he and Fishlegs went down into the tunnels of the training dome, along with their dragons. Hiccup looked at his dragon and nodded towards him. The dragon responded by firing a plasma blast at a nearby torch. Hiccup took the newly burning torch and proceeded to walk down the cave with Fishlegs right behind him. The two humans, along with their dragons, continued down the path towards the newly built underground cages.

The light illuminated the area, revealing the fresh new cells, as well as their new visitors. The dragons were lying in the ground unconscious, each had been cleaned earlier before placement. The black dragon hadn't changed in condition, but the purple one had improved slightly. The team manage to clean most of the scales and wounds. Some would still leak blood, but were manageable. It's front left paw still was broken, so Hiccup knew he had to find someway to help it in any way he could.

"Alright, Fishlegs," Hiccup turned to his Viking friend, "Now we should be able to figure out more about this one's class and species. Got anything on the Book of Dragons?"

Fishlegs just shook his head and sighed, "no. There isn't anything on the Book of Dragons that even correlates with it. Even the color patterns on the scales adds mystery to it. There isn't even anything about it's scale colors on the book!"

Hiccup just sighed and looked back at the dragons, "man, we could really use the Dragon Eye right about now." He turned back to see Fishlegs beaming with excitement, which made Hiccup raise an eyebrow ,"...what?"

"Hiccup! Do you not realize that this could be an entirely new species!" Fishlegs bounced up and down with excitement.

"Possibly, but remember. The Dragon Eye still held a lot of secrets, probably with these dragons, too," Hiccup reminded the excited Viking, which made him pipe down.

"Yeah, you might have a point, but what if it _is_ a new species!" Fishlegs excitement got the better of Hiccup.

"We could be figuring out the secrets that it hold! Where it comes from, it's abilities!" Hiccup followed through. Fishlegs squealed in excitement as the two theorists came up with numerous ideas about the dragon, completely unaware of who was listening to the nerd babble.

As Hiccup and Fishlegs were laughing and coming up with crazy theories about the new purple dragon, a voice reached their ears, "well, looks like something's never change."

The two giggling Vikings jumped from the sounds of the voice. The two turned around to see Astrid leaning on Stormfly's leg, arms crossed and everything.

"O-Oh, hey Astrid! How long have you been..?" Hiccup stuttered, but Astrid just cut him off.

"Been here all along, it's funny listening to the two of you talk," Astrid commented about the two Vikings as she walked toward the two before continuing, "anyway. I sent Gobber and Stoick a Terrornail to meet you guys here. See if they know anything about these two."

"Good, and in the meantime, could you go back to Berserker Island to see if anything else was left or unchecked, just incase?" Hiccup asked his lover, who nodded back and ran out of the cave, Stormfly right behind her.

"In the meantime," Hiccup turned around to face the dragons, "let's wait for Dad and Gobber to arrive."

 _Time skip brought to you by reading this line! Again!_

"Well, what do you think about them?" Hiccup asked his father and Gobber as they examined the still unconscious dragons.

"Well, they're not anything I've ever seen before," Gobber said as he fiddled with his facial hair.

"Indeed. There are a few similarities to a few dragon species with these two, so they might be mixed breeds," Stoick commented as he observed.

"That doesn't give us any clues yet," Hiccup sighed, "thank you for coming anyway." Hiccup reassured them as they started to leave.

"Ah! It's no biggie!" Gobber laughed, "and hey! You might've just discovered a new species of dragon!"

"See Hiccup!" Fishlegs cried in excitement and hugged the one legged Viking.

"Yes, Fishlegs, I know… please, let me… go…" Hiccup gasped out. Fishlegs gave a 'sorry' and dropped him.

After Stoick and Gobber left, Hiccup turned back to the dragons, _I hope I'm right…'_

* * *

 _Yet another time jump!_

The next thing when Cynder regained consciousness was everything was dark. There was still some light coming through a path down a hallway, wait… a hallway? She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings around her. There was light coming from a pathway, and stairs lead up to the source of the light. On the opposite side was a small glimpse of natural light, but it was covered by a rock face. It was then she noticed what she was in: a cage. She slowly stood up to examine the cage, but her legs began to wobble. Using all her might, she walked toward the bars of the cage. They were a greenish color, maybe a slight teal tint with it; it looked definitely fire-proof. She swung at at the bars with her claws, which made a *CHING* sound whenever she hit it. It barely scraped off the paint.

' _Claw proof, too. Guess whoever trapped me in here knows a lot about dragons,'_ Cynder thought to herself as she examined the marks the claws made on the bars. A groan, and some shuffling got her attention. She turned around, only to gasp at who she saw. Lying in his side, injured, barely breathing was Spyro. She ran over to him and went to his side.

"Spyro? Spyro! Can you hear me?" Cynder questioned, but she got no reply. His breathing was really shallow, and his muscles barely moved when he breathed in or out. This worried her, where were the gems? She looked around but only saw small amounts of hay, and a bowl that held some water in it. Not the prettiest of places, but it was honestly better than the ones she's seen.

Cynder's ears perked when she heard something coming. She turned just in time to see 2 dragons and 2 strange beings. A thought suddenly clicked in her mind: those were the same creatures riding those dragons! By the time she realized the connections, the two beings noticed she was awake. Cynder caught their eyes as they approached the cell. One was a skinny, brown haired ape, while the other was really chunky, and was looking really excited about something. She went into a defense stance, the other dragons noticed that and prepared to fire, most likely at her. One of the dragons was black, just like her, but masculine. It's head was rounder than hers, and was wearing a… saddle?

' _Are they… riding these dragons?'_ She noticed the tail, one looked natural, the other looked like it was, adapted on him… The other was way smaller, orange, and had a weird tail. It looked like a mace, probably good for destroying things but… what kind of dragons _are_ they? There not any she has seen before. Cynder snapped out of the trance when one of the strange apes spoke.

"Hiccup! Look! One's awake!" The chunky one exclaimed. Hiccup, what an odd name…

"Yes, I know, Fishlegs! Remember: we're here to monitor its behaviors and it's wounds, as well as the other one's," the one called Hiccup replied back. Fishlegs? What's going on here? Where were they? They continued watching her, while she stared back. ' _Best if they didn't know we talk,'_ Cynder thought as the two kept commenting on her features.

"What should we do about the metal this one is wearing?" The chunky one commented.

"We might have to take that off, we need to see the full extent o-," the other one was cut off by Cynder rushing into the cage, hitting the bars with a growl. The two apes backed off in fear as the the two dragons jumped in front of them, arming their powers. The smaller had a molten lava breath, the black one… it had a purple breath she had never seen before. It looked like fire in a way, but… condensed? Cynder backed off from the bars, still growling, but the one skinny ape ran towards the black dragon in front of her.

"Woah, woah, woah! Hey, easy, Toothless!" It cooed as he held the head of the dragon in his arms. Toothless? Unless it was blind, that thing **clearly** had teeth! The dragons stood down, and Cynder swore she saw the black dragon's teeth retract into its gums. Just then a third creature ran into the cave, carrying something. This one was definitely a female.

"Hiccup! I found something at Berserker Island!" It called out. Cynder saw the one called Hiccup turn and face the one that just arrived, his expression lightened. _'They must be related or mates,'_ Cynder thought as she observed the strange couple.

"Astrid, hey! What did you find?" Hiccup asked.

"I didn't find much, just some more of that purple aura, which seems to be discapating, and this," Astrid pulled out a sack from out of nowhere. Cynder's eyes widened, it was the gems!

"What's in there?" The chunky one asked. Hiccup opened the bag to see what it held.

"Guys, look at this!" His eyes lit up, everything look towards him as he pulled out the content within the bag. There were gems inside, green and red; the green made up a majority of the bag, but there were a few reds here and there.

Astrid was the first to speak, "they're so pretty!"

"The question is: who or what wanted these gems," Hiccup hypothesized as he stared into the gems' beauty. He wouldn't have to wait long as a sudden vortex of wind surrounded the group. The bag and gems slipped out of their grasps as they flew towards something. Hiccup look to try and find where the source is, only to be astonished at what he and the other riders saw. That dragon was causing the vortex! Astrid tried to catch the bag out of the air, put Hiccup put an arm in front of her, saying, "no, wait!" As the bag flew towards the cage, the vortex ceased. The dragon caught it in mid air, and retreated to the center of the cage. It began to search in the bag for something. All the Riders were amazed by not only the fact of it's intelligence, but it's abilities; none of the dragons they knew could do that! The Riders saw the black dragon pull out one of the red crystals and rush over to the injured purple dragon. It put the gem close to the dragon's chest area, but what would happen next will change how they view these two forever. The red gen began to glow, and a red mist like apparition formed from it. It slowly floated to the purple dragon. The Riders saw the dragon glow a soft red. A few scales began to reform and major wounds began to soften, but it didn't heal. The glowing ceased and the dragon returned to its original colors, looking healed. The Riders stared wide eyed, jaw dropped as the light show ended.

Astrid was the first to speak, but she couldn't form any words, "Di… that… ju… I…"

"That crystal… it… it healed that dragon," Hiccup barely mustered. Toothless looked like if he could speak, he would probably be like Astrid. The black dragon that healed him turned and faces the Riders, giving a 'now you know' look with a smirk.

"Hiccup, this… is revolutionary! Think of what we could do with those kind of gems!" Fishlegs exploded in excitement.

"We could deal with threats with less risk involved!" Astrid exclaimed. Hiccup remained silent, a hand under his chin. The two Vikings looked back at their leader, confused at to what he was thinking on his mind; even Toothless looked confused.

"H-Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked nervously, wondering if Hiccup was about to go on a verge of a physiological breakdown. He suddenly looked up, with determination filling his eyes.

"Astrid, take Fishlegs and Snotlout to see if you can find any gems like those, but in the morning. Right now, I'm gonna relay a Terrormail back to Berk, let them know of our findings," the three Riders began to leave with their dragons, but Hiccup stopped all of them, "no. Toothless, stay here."

Toothless gave a small coo in question, to which Hiccup replied, "I know bud, but we need you to guard the cell in case these dragons try to breakout, ok?"

"Stormfly!" Astrid called to her dragon, who came running in from the training dome, " stay here with Toothless." Stormfly gave a shriek of acknowledgement.

"Astrid…" Hiccup tried to reason with her, but he knew it was almost impossible to coax with her.

"Hiccup, relax. And besides, Toothless could use some company during the night, right?" Astrid persuaded, to which Hiccup only sighed in defeat.

"Ok, fine," Hiccup huffed, "come one Fishlegs." The Viking followed with his dragon as the four of them out of the cavern, leaving Toothless and Stormfly with the black dragon. As soon as the Vikings left the cavern, Cynder slapped her muzzle with her paws.

 _'How did I do that..?'_ She pondered as she remained in the cage.

* * *

It was around 8 in the morning, and Toothless was still eyeing the dragons. He was skeptical they would pull something off, but that one only seems to interested with the purple one. It fell asleep hours ago, so Toothless decided to follow its idea and get some rest. However, he woke up to some unusual shifting around him. He opened his eyes and immediately faced the dragons. Toothless eyes caught sight of one of them beginning to move, it was probably that black dragon. The rustling and shifting grew slightly louder. Annoyed, he stood up and faced the dragons only to see what was happening. The purple dragon was the one moving. He saw the eyes of it open and look around. It gave off a slight growl and attempted to stand, but almost fell when it did so. Toothless gave his small, quiet dragon chuckle, but instantly shut up when he heard what came out of its muzzle.

"Ugh, my head… my whole body, feels like all the guardians sat on top of me." It looked down to see the other dragon asleep, it's eyes widened.

"Cynder? Cynder?" It nudged the unconscious dragon, but she didn't budge.

Spyro looked around him to notice where he was at, a cell. He also took notice of some hay, a water bowl, and a bag. Wait, the gems! He heard something moving to his left. He faced the direction of the sound and saw another dragon on the opposite side. Quickly looking left and right to see if anyone was looking, only to see none. He walked close to the bars towards the dragon.

"Hey, can you help us?" He whispered, but his voice was rough. Instead of helping, the dragon ran off towards a stairwell. Spyro reached out for the dragon, "hey wai-," a sudden cough came over him, violently. He began to hack as small amounts of blood escaped his throat. He heard a noise coming from Cynder, who was startled by the recent sounds of distress.

"Spyro!" She called out as she hugged him tightly, this made Spyro choke on more blood.

"...cyn…. can't… breathe…" Spyro barely gasped out before the female dragon released him from her grip. He coughed up more blood, but began to calm himself down and keep himself from dying.

"Are you okay?" Cynder asked as she examined the purple dragon.

"Everything… hurts…" he breathed out as he sat down. Cynder reached down and grabbed another red gem and gave it to Spyro.

"Here." He instantly took it and felt in his paws as it's effects washed over him like water, then stopped abruptly. He took a deep breath before looking back at Cynder and nodding.

"Where… are we?"

"Not sure. We ended up in a strange place, where these weird creatures are observing us. They have dragons here, but they don't seem to be able to speak." Spyro gave her a confused glance, which made Cynder chuckle, "yeah, that's exactly what I though. The thing is, those strange things actually **ride** these dragons." Spyro's eyes widened.

"Yeah, weird how these dragons let them actually ride them on their backs. They didn't seem like they want to hurt us, yet…" Spyro gave her a glance, "hey! You can never be too sure!"

"..." Spyro stared at her with a 'really?' expression.

"What?" Cynder gave him a confused glare, Spyro smiled said nothing at first, but got serious when he thought of something, "we should see what they want."

"Spyro! Are you…" Spyro looked at her with seriousness; with an expression like that, she knew he wouldn't back down, "*sigh* alright… but I don't like this whatsoever."

As the two continued chatting, they never noticed the figure near the stairwell, with a look of pure excitement on his face.

"This… changes… everything…" he muttered and ran back out of the stairwell.

* * *

Finished chapter 2 (fun fact: original intent was to make it 2 smaller chapters, but I mashed it up into one big ball of words. It may be lacking, okay? I haven't been feeling like myself lately)!

I'm probably going back to making _Undertails_ chapter 5, look out for that! I'm probably gonna swap it off for one different story a week.

(Example: this week was LoS: DD chapter 2, next week/next time I update a story is probably _Undertails_ chapter 5, then it will go back to Spyro the next week/next time I post something).

 **THANKS FOR READING! R &R WILL HELP ME BECOME BETTER FOR YOURS AND OTHERS ENTERTAINMENT! :D**


	3. Chapter 3: Sacrifice

It's that time again!

So hey, please do me a solid and don't judge me too harshly. I've been having a really bad time lately with outside life.

Here's John- nope wait, wrong line…. ah ok! Here's chapter 3 of LoS: DD!

* * *

 _Hiccup's Journal, Entry 403. Topic: Mysterious Dragons._

 _Both are awake, and appear to be nonaggressive towards us, or at least the purple one isn't. The other seems rather skeptical, a feature I find rather interesting about her. While I do concern more of the purple one regarding his health, the overall mystery behind them still has me beaten. Judging by the way they seem to know more about the usage of those crystals than we ever knew. Those crystals… how can they do that? How are they able to heal those dragons? Magic? An outside force? Questions that can hopefully be resolved soon. Recently I've began to watch from a distance, and I believe I have found something beyond imagination: they're dragons… that can speak! I'm not sure the others will believe me, most likely Snotlout won't. It'll probably be best to keep it a secret from the others, until I know for certain it is the right time to say. I just hope its soon..._

As Hiccup wrote the final sentence, he sighed. More and more questions remained unanswered about these dragons' origins as the time went by. He closed his journal and tossed it aside. As he sat on his stool, pondering his next move, a knock came from his hut's door. Hiccup stood up, walked up to the door and opened the door to reveal Astrid and Stormfly.

"Hey, Astrid! Did you get anything?" Hiccup asked, but she just shook her head.

"Looked all over, but we couldn't find any of these crystals, anywhere! It's like they just appeared out of thin air!" Astrid blurted as she shot a surprised look at him.

"We both know that's not possible," Hiccup stated an obvious answer. He gave a pause before saying "oh, that purple one has regain consciousness!"

"Really? You should've told us sooner!" Astrid gave an annoyed look towards him.

"Yeah…" Hiccup looked away slightly, "well in any case, my dad should be on his way here. I have to discuss to him about the dragons and crystals," after finishing his sentence, Hiccup heard a roar coming from the distance. He walked out of his hut with Astrid and saw who was coming in, "speak of the devil."

A large thud shook the ground as Stoick landed right in front of them. He dismounted off of Skullcrusher, and faced his son.

"Ahh! There's my boy!" Stoick laughed as he approached Hiccup, but he backed away from the approaching bear hug attack.

"Woah, easy, Dad! Remember, I need to tell you our findings so far, and I can't do that when I don't have any air in my lungs to do so," Hiccup retorted, which made Stoick laugh harder.

"I suppose so. Now! What did ye find?"

"Well…" Hiccup started his presentation.

 _Fast forward a few moments_

"So what yer sayin is that these dragons have these, crystals... that have the ability to heal themselves?" Stoick was trying to process all that information.

"Yeah, it's weird. I've never encountered something like that before, and I'm not sure on how to go on with them," Hiccup stated.

"Aye, but remember. New roads can lead to new possibilities, son. You yourself have done something that we deemed impossible, and now look: we're integrated our society with dragons for Thor's sake!" Stoick preached.

"Yeah, heh, I suppose your right… oh! The other dragon is awake, do you wish to see them?" Hiccup jumped up. Stoick nodded and the Vikings headed for the training dome.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

"I don't understand… what happened after we fixed the world?" Spyro barely managed out of his confusion.

"Well, after defeating Malefor, I remember you fixing the world. You fell unconscious, the crystal underneath us broke and we fell in. A bright flash of light blinded me and knocked me out. And here we are!" Cynder gave a brief description of recent events.

Spyro still gave her a confused glance, to which she just chuckled "Yeah, exactly what I thought at first. Regardless, I've attempted to break us out, but these bars are impervious to my attacks, maybe yours, too."

"Speaking of attacks, I never knew there was a wind element," Spyro commented.

"Yeah, there shouldn't be!" Cynder's expression became saddened, "and if there was a wind element, it shouldn't fall into my hands. Not after what I have done…"

Spyro took notice of her expression, and comforted her, "Hey, better in our hands rather than any of Malefor's minions. Even after the things you've done, look… at yourself now!" Even if his voice, pride, or body was hurt, he knew how to make her feel better about any situation. She gave a giggle, signaling Spyro that he had done well.

The two sat in silence for a brief time before a thought suddenly struck Spyro's head "Did… you try your shadow form?" He asked, voiced starting to sound strained again.

Cynder looked at him for a few moments, before smacking herself on the head, "why didn't I-," Footsteps from above interrupted the conversation. They grew soft for a few moments, than reappeared next to them. Shadows began to appear as these strange creatures Cynder was talking about came from a stairwell. One was very tall, muscular, had to be a leader or warrior of some sorts, the other not so tall, but wearing a brown garment.

"Well, here they are," the smaller one spoke. The taller one seemed to examine them as if they were alien to them.

"Very interesting…" it's voice echoed greatly in the cavern.

"They don't appear to be violent, just probably scared," the smaller one replied. Spyro noticed Cynder looked like she was about to kill him when he said that. He knew she was skeptical about them, but not scared; plus she hated when people judged like that. Spyro put a wing in front of her to block her view of the creature. The two seemed to notice of the dragon's actions.

"Maybe, but they appear to be smarter than any I've seen. Let's take them up to see what they can do," the taller one had a look on his face, but the other seemed to completely dismiss the idea in shock.

"Woah, what? We can't just ye-," it noticed the looked the other gave, and sighed in defeat, "alright…"

The smaller creature slowly approached the cages, the dragons looked at him curiously.

"Alright… I'm gonna let you out, but you better follow us. Otherwise, your going back here, got it?" It tried to give a threat, but it just felt hollow to the dragons. Cynder looked at Spyro, skeptical is his next move. He didn't do anything but looked around. At this time, that black dragon that was with them earlier could be seen behind the creatures, teeth exposed. Spyro, looking at himself and Cynder knew they were no match for them in their state. He looked back at the creature about to unlock the gates, and gave an accepting expression. Whether the creature saw it on his face or not, it opened the gate. The two dragons walked out of the cage, hobbling. The black dragon growled, but Spyro didn't try and fight back.

"Follow us," the smaller one pointed upward towards the light above. The two dragons followed their lead and left the cave. Upon leaving, the first thing that greeted them was the immense power of the sun's light. It hurt their eyes, as they blocked it with their wings. After a few uncomfortable minutes of blinking, their eyes adjusted to the surroundings around them. They were in a metal sphere, which brought back memories of the arena. An open dome surrounded them, but Spyro noted that it was able to be closed if needed. There were small huts all around, with small open areas here and there. It looked like a village or encampment of some sorts, but none like the cheetahs. There were a two more creatures around them. One was that female with a blue, two-legged dragon. It's tail had spikes of some sort out, looked like it was in a defense position. Another was chubby, with a small, brown dragon next to him. It's body was round, brown, and had a mace as it's tail. There was also a dragon with a large saddle on top of if. What kind of dragons are they, and it what realm would dragons allow strange beings to ride them?

' _I don't think we're in our own realm anymore,'_ Spyro thought as he observed the surroundings around him. A sudden pain stuck him, knocking him to the ground. He was coughing hard, blood escaping his mouth. Cynder took immediate notice and rushed to his aid. The creatures saw this and attempted to get closer. Cynder instantly went on the defensive, jumping in front of her injured companion. All the creatures stopped and slowly backed up, while the other dragons armed themselves, too. Spyro, still coughing, noted the black dragon that darted in front of the creature wearing brown. It's… mouth was glowing _purple_! How? There are no purple elements! Well, if Cynder managed to get a wind ability, he guessed that dragon can have a purple element here, too, whatever that was. Neither side gave or lost ground and the standoff continued. Spyro whispered Cynder's name but she shot him a "be quiet!" look. Then, a cry from above caught everyone's attention as a green, two-headed dragon with two more creatures riding, it came down at full speed. The head on the left was leaking a green mist, while the head in the right had sparked emanating in its mouth.

"Take cover!" The female creature shouted as her dragon protected her with its wings. All the others did the same as the green dragon came down on top of them. Just as it landed, Cynder instantly made a 180 and wrapped her wings around Spyro to keep him safe. They both closed their eyes as an explosion covered them in fire, shaking the ground beneath them. Smoke filled their lungs as they desperately tried to breathe. As the smoke cleared, Snotlout and Hookfang landed next to Hiccup, who looked very agitated.

"Snotlout! What is the matter with you!" Hiccup yelled in frustration.

"What? I thought it was attacking you!" Snotlout retorted.

"Boys! BOYS! Now maybe a good time to saddle up!" Stoick shouted as he hopped on Skullcrusher.

Within the smoke cloud, the two dragons emerged from the cloud.

 _Music: Dance of Thorns from HOMESTUCK plays..._

"Now do you see why I'm skeptical!" Cynder muttered frustratedly towards her injured companion.

"I know! Just don't harm them too much! Just knock them out! We might be able to clear this up after we're through with this!" Spyro snapped back as the world around them became visible once again. They didn't hear any of what the Riders said, but they didn't care. Spyro jumped up off the ground and launched a fireball from his muzzle. It stuck the ground next to Astrid, as she got on her dragon. The twins and Snotlout got into position around Cynder, backing her up.

"Alright miss dragon! Time to meet Hookfang!" He showed off, in which Hookfang's entire body became engulfed in flames. Cynder's eyes widened in surprise, but quickly regained focus. She let out a loud roar, followed by a terrifying screech. One that hit Snotlout, the twins, and their dragons. All the Riders stopped and examined what was happening, no one has heard something like that before. Instantly, the dragons and their Riders fell to the ground and scrunched up as if having a bad dream. They were completely paralyzed with fear. Hiccup, Stoick, Astrid, and Fishlegs stopped and stared at what happened. This was terrifying! One roar took half of their team down! If the other one was just as powerful as her, there was no way they could win. Quickly, the four took to the skies as they hovered slightly above Spyro, surrounding him.

"Dad! You and Fishlegs try to help the others as well as take care of the other dragon! Astrid and I will deal with this one!" Hiccup commanded, panic slightly ensuing in his voice. Fishlegs and Stoick nodded and flew towards Cynder, while they dealt with Spyro.

"Well, Hiccup, I hope you have some sorta plan!" Astrid cried out as she flew to his side. Fireball began to fly at them from Spyro as he tried to hit them without spraining himself.

Hiccup took notice of the dragon' actions and came up with a plan, "Try to make it reveal its underside and expose its underbelly! We can take it out from there!"

Astrid nodded, then patted Stormfly, giving her the command to fire at Spyro. Spyro saw the needles coming and dodged out of the way, slowly, however. He got a glimpse of the other trying to attack his flank. In a fit of brilliance and panic, Spyro manifested all his energy into an attack. His body began to glow an orange color as fire began to ruminate of of it. He let loose the power and it exploded the area around him, scorching the area around him and knocking back his attackers.

Hiccup and Astrid were surprised at this attack, but also his power.

"He can do that?! OK new plan! Don't go near him!" Hiccup shouted as he and Toothless attacked from a distance. With Fishlegs and Stoick, Fishlegs and Meatlug were pulling the incapacitated Riders out of the battlefield, but Stoick and Skullcrusher on the other hand were having a hard time with Cynder. She was dodging all of their attacks combined, but she pinned herself to a wall by accident. Stoick and Skullcrusher took this advantage as they came closer towards her. She had to think fast! Quickly, as they ready their blows, she turned into a shadowy mist. Cynder weaved between the two, even though she knew what happens when she goes near anyone. As she appeared behind them, she witnessed their faces of pure confusion and terror when she disappeared. She smirked as she used her claws to strike down the two. They cried out in pain as the claws digged into their skin and scales, and fell onto the ground. Fishlegs watched in terror as the events unfolded and rushed to get the last of the paralyzed Riders to safety. Cynder saw him dart away, but didn't chase since he wasn't a threat, or didn't seem like one. She returned to Spyro's side, as he was struggling to deal with two other Riders.

As Cynder approached Spyro's side, Hiccup's eyes widened. He looked around to find his father and dragon unconscious on the ground. Hiccup could see he was still breathing, which made him sigh in relief, but frustration, anger, hate settled in him. _They hurt his family… **his friends…**_ Hiccup pointed towards Spyro, yelling "Fire!", to which Toothless fired a barrage of plasma blasts at the purple dragon. Astrid joined in with spikes and blaze, as smoke erupted around the dragon. The sounds of rage could be heard for miles as the strikes kept going for a full minute. Hiccup, after calming himself, made them stop firing to see what happened. The smoke dissipated to reveal a shaky purple dragon, with wings covering his head.

Spyro opened his wings, and fell to the ground. He struggled to get up, everything was hurting… again. Those purple blasts were powerful, not as strong as Malefor's powers combined, but close. He summoned all the remaining strength he had to lift his head and fire one more fireball towards the Riders; however, it was incredibly weak, and dissipated not even halfway towards them. His ears were ringing like church bells, and his heart was pounding.

 _Current music ends, while In Vain by NyxtheShield plays_

Cynder was in shock to see her friend in this state. She looked up in anger towards the Riders, but only could manage fear as one was preparing a strong attack to finish him off. She was weak herself after her battle with Stoick, but had enough to fight. The boy riding the black dragon had an angered expression to his face, one Cynder could tell he wasn't thinking straight. Then without warning, the dragon charging the attack fired, causing a purple blast to be launched at her friend. As if time slowed down, she took off to intercept it. She looked at Spyro and the shot, and sighed. There was no way she could pull Spyro and herself out of the way in time. With that thought, all she could do was just run.

Spyro saw the shot coming towards him. He remembered all the great times he has had with his family, Sparx, the Guardians, _Ignitus_ , _Cynder…_ He closed his eyes as he braced for the impact, but a voice caught his attention.

"SPYRO!" He opened his eyes and saw Cynder dart in front of him to take the blast. It collided with her and exploded, causing Cynder to fly back and crash into a nearby wall. His eyes widened as his love fell to the ground with no signs of movement.

"CYNDER!" He shouted as he scrambled to his companion. She was badly off, multiple scorch marks, scales ripped or blown off. She looked like she fought Malefor with nothing at her side. Blood was escaping her wounds, but she was breathing… _barely_.

The Riders on the other hand were blown away by what they heard, well mostly Astrid. Hiccup on the other hand, was going into denial. He didn't mean to hurt her, he didn't _want_ to hurt her! He began to tear up at his actions as he witnessed the purple dragon's response.

"CYNDER! ARE YOU OKAY? SAY SOMETHING!" Spyro shouted. Cynder just looked at him with her injured expression and gave weak smile.

"spyro… I'm… sorry…" she whispered, tears rolling down her eyes as she looked at her love. Her vision started to obscure, as she desperately tried to keep Spyro in sight.

"Don't be, please! You'll be okay! Just stay with me!" Spyro cried as he looked at her.

"I… wanted to… say…" Cynder started, but Spyro didn't want to hear her say that. She still continued, "thank you… for what you've… done… and…".

She leaned closer to him and kissed him on the muzzle. She retracted her head, seeing the blood stains on his lips. She managed to whisper one last thing, "I love you," and closed her eyes. Her head fell on his arms. Her breathing stopped as the darkness consumed her.

"No… no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, _NO!_ " Spyro was screaming her name, but got no response as he cried in vain. He wrapped his wings around her and cried into her chest as he called her name, but no response still from the black dragoness. He held her limp body close as he remembered all the times with her. It might've not been a lot of time with her, but it was powerful enough to call it long lasting memories. Astrid was horrified by the scene, covering her mouth, while Hiccup stared in disbelief. Their dragons looked equally as sad. Something changed as Spyro started feel an uneasiness within him. Anger and hate rolled in his mind as vengeance surged through his body like his blood. His eyes flashed a dark color, so did his scales. They took away the person who made him feel happy, whole… the person who he had loved dearly. They will pay for what they've done… _**THEY WILL PAY!**_

All of a sudden, darkness embedded the land. Clouds began to cloak the sky in a grey, and lightning struck the earth around the Dragonriders, but it wasn't ordinary. The lightning was striking around the purple dragon, and the color… was purple. The Riders affected by Cynder's fear ability were resuscitated and witnessed the events unfold around them. Hiccup and Astrid began to notice a change with the purple dragon, the fact that it _wasn't_ purple, but now _black._ It's eyes were pupil-less, but it was clear hate and anger could be seen within them. It held the most furious look as it showed its wings out. Slowly, it began to float as a massive black aura surrounded the dragon. They backed off from him as the winds around them began to pick up, and the smell of fire and ashes made itself known. Stoick groaned, and managed to regain consciousness he sat up and saw his unconscious dragon and back towards Hiccup, but jaw-dropped at the sight of the enraged dragon's power.

 _Music ends..._

What struck all minds, souls, and ears the most was the pure darkness, hate, and grievance that was present in the dragon's voice, " **YOU WILL PAY! FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO HER!"**

* * *

Unaware to all, a hidden, hooded figure watched from a short distance away. He stared at the sight of Spyro's darkness and the fresh fear of the Dragonriders. He gave a glance towards the body of Cynder, thoughts running into his head. At last, a sigh of defeat escaped him.

"Sorry, sir… I know I promised I would stay out of this," his voice was quiet, trying not to make his presence known. He raised his fingers and snapped; in an instant, he was at the underground cell chambers. He searched frantically until he smiled at his discovery. A small bag containing a marvelous amount of red and green gems.

"But today… I will do something for a change, even if I am doing wrong in your eyes," his voice echoed in the chamber. He turned around and flung of his hood from his face, revealing a greenish-blue scaled dragon [picture a Chinese Dragon] with long whiskers. Scars ran down his face and scales, and his emerald eyes held secrets of their own. He knew the risks of disobeying his master's orders, and the affect this could hold, but something called him to do so. The only thing he could do was look up to where the battle was occurring and frowned.

"Today, I will undo my evils on this world," His eyes flared yellow for a moment, "so says your scout, Viper."

* * *

Will Spyro get revenge for the death of Cynder? Who is Viper's master, and what is their motive? Find out in the next chapter!

 **THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE R &R! IT WILL HELP ME BECOME BETTER FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT! :D**


	4. Chapter 4: Powers of the Dark

Oh, boy! Here we go! The chapter you've all waited for!

Will the Riders perish for their misdeeds? Find out now in this latest installment of Dragonrider's Destiny!

* * *

Hiccup was scared. Not even his encounters with Toothless in the past could top this. That dragon made anyone and anything that looked at it shrivel in fear. It's eyes, full of darkness and with its wings spread, looked like a demon. He turned and looked at the Riders around him, who were just as equally terrified. Surprisingly, Fishlegs did not faint from the sight of Dark Spyro.

Hiccups thoughts raced back to current moments when it roared, and with it the earth did, too. The ground beneath them shook, as if the earth feared it. It's roar gave a force that knocked him and Astrid down. After a few minutes, their dragons gained control again, and hovered over the other Riders.

"Ok! We have to do something, fast!" Hiccup shouted, as the winds picked up.

"How?!" Astrid and Snotlout simultaneously shouted back. Fear shot through his mind. He didn't _have_ a plan. He didn't think this could happen! He knew they were powerful, intelligent, but not this!

A bloodcurdling scream broke his trance as he witnessed Stoick run towards Dark Spyro.

"DAD! NO!" Hiccup screamed as he reached out his hand. He saw his father run towards the dragon, axe in hand. With all his might, Stoick threw it high in the air. The axe went at extreme speeds, for human standards, as it flew at the dragon. Dark Spyro noticed this, but didn't try to stop it or him. The axe hit its target, but had an unexpected result. It made a *CHING!* sound and bounced off, generating a few sparks as it hit the scales, but it did nothing to it. Everyone watched as the axe fell down back to the ground, making a clattering noise. Stoick, looking down at his axe, was dumbfounded. He looked back up towards Dark Spyro. The dragon inspected where the axe struck him, before looking back at him. He breathed in, and let loose a large amount of black and purple flames. Stoick, raised his arms and braced for the inferno. Just then, Skullcrusher rushed in and took the blast, but it knocked him and hit Stoick, causing the two of them to fly back. They hit the ground and rolled around, before stopping.

"NO!" Hiccup screamed, reaching out for his father.

" **FOOLISH, BEINGS. YOU TOY WITH THINGS THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"** The dragon's dark voice carried through the winds.

"Everyone! Fire everything we have at it! We can't let it harm anything else!" Hiccup shouted, pointing towards the dragon, anger was present in his voice.

"HICCUP! There is literally NO WAY we can take this thing down!" Fishlegs shouted.

"We have to try! Everyone! Form up!" Hiccup commanded. Everyone but Stoick got on their dragons to join up with Hiccup and Astrid. Their dragons looked as scared as they were, but they tried their best not to show it.

" **I WILL MAKE YOU ALL BURN IN THE WELL OF SOULS FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO HER!"** Dark Spyro screeched. Lightning danced around them as the sky remained dark. Thunder shook the skies around them as darkness flooded the air.

' _The Well of Souls? What the hell is it talking about?'_ Hiccup thought, but shook the thoughts out of his head as numerous fireballs came zooming at his face. The Riders took evasive actions as the onslaught of attacks from Dark Spyro kept coming. Fishlegs and Meatlug attempted to fire a volley of lava spews at the dragon, but everytime they hit nothing would happen. The lava just sisseled and disappeared, steam still present from where the attack struck.

"Impossible!" Fishlegs shouted in panic, as the dragon spread out it's front arms; instantly, a field of ice crystals clouded the Viking and dragon. Fishlegs shrieked as the shards flew at insane speeds, while Meatlug tried desperately to avoid the, all; however, the dragon was soon overwhelmed. Several shards scraped Fishlegs as he howled in pain. Meatlug took several to the arms, legs, tail, and body. She croaked in pain as she fell to the ground. Hiccup witnessed his friend being shot down and retaliated. Toothless fired multiple blasts at the dragon, but Dark Spyro used his wings to protect himself from harm.

This move bought enough time for the Twins to make a surprise attack. They swarmed around Dark Spyro, who attempted to hit them with ice shards but missed. Barf let loose a swarm of gas that circled the dragon. They circled the dragon multiple times, to where it couldn't see anything.

"Light it up, Belch!" Tuffnut shouted. Belch followed his commands and sparks emanated from his mouth. Belch breathed out, and a huge explosion encompassed the dragon. The Thorstons gave their cheer, but were silent when they heard a growl. Dark Spyro slowly emerged from the smoke cloud unscathed. They gave a expression that read "we screwed up", and tried to flee from the dragon but it was too late. It breathed in, but instead of using an elemental ability, Dark Spyro tapped into his power of darkness and Convexity, and fired a large beam of black and dark purple energy. It was fast, and shot through the Twins, Barf, and Belch, forcing them down in a fiery crash. The beam went through the dragon and it's riders. As it continued, it hit Snotlout and Hookfang, who screamed in pain as it sheared through them. They fell onto the ground, hard, with smoke coming off the dragon. The beam continued onward and cut through wood and rock as if it was nothing. Hiccup and Astrid watched as it drilled through the rock face and left a hole in the wall. This was _not_ of their world, or at least to their understanding. A dragon with that much power… it isn't right. It put the legends of the Nightfury to shame! The two backed away in fear as the dragon slowly hovered his way towards them.

Dark Spyro used another shockwave attack that forced the remaining Riders onto the ground, hard. Hiccup and Astrid grunted in pain as they slowly got off the ground. They looked towards their dragon, and desperately tried to get their dragons up, but it was too late. They looked up to see the dragon above them. It felt like the embodiment of hell more than it did an enraged dragon.

" **NOW DO YOU SEE THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS? ALL YOUR FRIENDS PAID THE PRICE FOR YOUR SINS! AND NOW… I AM HERE AS RETRIBUTION TO YOUR MISDEEDS!"** Dark Spyro screamed in anger as he ready his claws, lifting his arms high in the air. The two accepted their fates and closed their eyes, waiting for the impending doom. Dark Spyro laughed as if he were insane and brought down his claws upon his foes. This was it, they both thought as the impending doom was near. Just as his claws and talons were about to hit their marks, a sound that struck everyone's ears made itself known.

It was very faint, almost covered from the storm, but it was there. Spyro turned to face the source of the sound, but saw nothing but the body of Cynder. He noticed something was off about her, there was something lying on top of her. He turned back to the Riders, and formed barriers of earth that they could not escape from, and left them to investigate. He could hear them struggling to get out, but that wasn't his concern. He slowly approached Cynder, and saw what was laying on her chest: the bag of gems. Instantly, he saw a sight that could purify the hearts of any. The bag slowly rose, then fell. It was small, but it could be seen. He couldn't believe it… she was alive… SHE WAS ALIVE! He dashed to her and picked her up, crying as he held her tight in his grip.

Astrid watched in disbelief. That dragon holds similar emotions as to humans. It cried when mourning, raged when angered. This was all just, mind blowing. She could barely speak from the sight, "H-Hiccup, the other dragon… its..s."

"Alive." Hiccup finished her sentence. He couldn't believe it, he didn't kill her! Relief flooded him as tears ran down his face.

Dark Spyro, looked back towards the remaining Riders and lowered the barrier. **"WE WILL MEET AGAIN, CREATURES."** He spoke and took off, carrying Cynder and the bag with him. A simultaneous thought came in the heads of Dark Spyro and Hiccup, _'My only hope it is under much better circumstances…'_ As Hiccup watched him fly away, he looked for Toothless, who looked awful. He was still standing, so that was good. He hopped on his dragon, and glanced at the the direction that Dark Spyro was leaving.

"Everyone, form up!" He rallied. His dragon grunted in pain as he attempted to fly after Dark Spyro.

"U-Uh, Hiccup? You need to stop and look around you!" Fishlegs' voice caught his attention. Hiccup swung his head back to see what he was talking about. He saw the other Riders incapacitated, lying on the ground. They weren't dead, or didn't appear to be. Only Fishlegs, who was badly injured and leaning on a wounded Meatlug, and Astrid were still standing. Her dragon looked as bad as his: injured, but was able to stand. He looked towards Dark Spyro flying away, and emotions began to overwhelm him. In a fit of uncontrolled rage, Hiccup threw his hands in the air and screamed in pure anger. The others were startled, it was rare to see him do that. His dragon cooed softly, saying to his rider he didn't like that. Hiccup looked down in frustration, struggling to calm himself. The clouds around them began to disappear, as the lightning ceased and the skies were calm. Hiccup looked around to see the damage done. It was a mess, as huts were on fire, damage was everywhere, and not to mention the unconscious team members. Looking back to where the dragon was last seen, he visually mapped where the dragon's last position and heading, but if they were smart as they were mysterious and powerful… they might change directions.

Hiccup sighed, "get everyone back into a safe location to treat their wounds. I'm gonna go put out the nearby fires. Astrid, try to send a Terrormail to Berk, let them know we need assistance." Everyone nodded as they assume their roles and got to work trying to rebuild and assist their injured teammates.

* * *

Viper watched as he saw the dragon fly away, carrying the other one and the bag. He smiled a little inside. He watched the clouds dissipate, and the skies clear. As the dragon became out of view, a strange feeling mauled over him. All of a sudden, a bright light captivated him and blinded him. In an instant, he was in some sort of room, a planning hall. He instantly knew where he was and what was about to happen.

"YOU IDIOT!" A dark voice reigned behind him. Instantly, he was thrown against a wall. His body was emitting a red glow against his scales. He looked up to see his master, wearing a brown hood over his head. His eyes were burning bright red in anger. His hand was out, glowing the same color as him.

"NOT ONLY DID YOU LET THEM ESCAPE, BUT YOU DISOBEYED MY ORDERS DIRECTLY. AND… YOU DID SOMETHING THAT WAS "GOOD", BUT HERE'S THE THING. IT'S _NOT_ A GOOD WORLD OUT THERE, AND WE AREN'T THE GOOD PEOPLE!" his mastered bellowed.

I-I'm s-s-sorry!" Viper choked on his words.

I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!" His master screeched. His master removed his cloak to reveal himself. He was similar to Viper, but his scales were dark red. He had scars running down his face. His eyes were burning blood red with anger.

"M-Master! P-Please!" Viper cried out in pain.

"YOU HAVE FAILED ME FOR THE LAST TIME…" His master snapped his fingers and dozens of ice shards were pointing at him. This scared him, he was a fire elemental, and was weak to water and ice.

"N-No, P-P-Please!" Viper cried. He tried to struggle, but it was impossible to escape his grip. Just as his master was about to finish him, a Dragonhunter walked into the tent.

"Sir, I…" he saw the whole thing. Viper's master looked back at the hunter.

"WHAT IS IT?!"

"U-Uh…." the hunter gave a very long pause before continuing, "He's… here…" was all the hunter could say, then rapidly backpedalling out of the tent.

The master growled, the gave a very shallow glance at Viper, "your really lucky, you know that?" He put Viper down and ceased the ice to exist as the flap opened one more time to reveal more people.

One was another hunter, the other wore red body armor and had the an evil look in his eyes. His eyes caught onto Viper's master. "Ahh, if it isn't my advisor, Barrage." He smirked.

"Krogan… good to see you, too," was all Viper's master, Barrage, could say. He only stared at Krogan with an evil glance.

"Come now, don't be so mellow, why the face?" Krogan asked, raising an eyebrow but keeping his smirk. Barrage looked at Viper, who flinched when he looked at him.

"Report to me what you saw, now," Barrage commanded. Viper got up and approached his master. He leaned closer to his ear area and whispered his findings. Barrage listened close to what Viper said, and by the end of it, slightly became nervous to what he heard.

"Well?" Krogan's patience wore thin. Viper stepped away from his master.

"It appears… that my scout's reports of the new dragons can be… confirmed," Barrage gave a low reply.

"Really?" Krogan looked intrigued.

Barrage looked back at Viper, who nodded back to him. "Yes, and it appears they are more powerful than expected. If his reports are correct, they possess an arsenal of abilities at their disposal. None that our dragons own… and one vastly greater than ours," Barrage looked back to his boss.

"Hmm… how interesting. I want you to get me those dragons, no matter what," Krogan smirked, evil plots began to unfold in his head.

"I'll send Viper to see to your wishes," Barrage replied. Viper gave a stutter, to which Barrage looked at him menacingly, "you can use this opportunity to prove yourself to me. If you fail, you die. If you succeed, I will drop everything that has happened recently, and give a longer "lead" for you to work with." Viper took a second to look at his options, before nodding.

"Excellent, bring them to us as fast as you can. I expect good results," Krogan smiled and exited the tent. As soon as he left, Barrage gave one last shallow glance towards the other dragon.

"Do not fail me…" Barrage hissed. Viper nodded and disappeared into the air. Barrage groaned, rubbing his head and putting two fingers between his eyes. _'Why must this press on?'_ His thoughts were interrupted by the tent flap opening again.

Barrage looked back to see who entered. There was a worn-out Dragonhunter, who was leaning on a pole and breathing heavily.

"Ah… Viskor, what do you have to report?" Barrage raised one of his scaly eyebrows.

"We *huff* found what *gasp* you asked for, sir," Viskor gasped out. After saying this, three more hunters walked in carrying books and scrolls. Barrage smiled, _'maybe this is the one good thing that has happened in my favor today…'_ Barrage approached the stack of books and read the titles of some of them, "Old Dragons of the past"; "Ancient Fires: Dragons of Fire and Ice"; all sorts of books filled to the brim with knowledge of dragons and other things of value.

"Well, this certainly makes this day much more interesting," Barrage chuckled. He faced the hunters, "you are free to leave," he dismissed the hunters. He picked up one of the scrolls, which read "The Legends of the Elements". There was one, however, that truly caught his attention. At the middle of the stack of books, there was a black colored book. Using his powers, he pulled the book from the stack without causing it to fall. As it flew into his hands, he read the title, "The Power of the Banished Dragon".

His eyes glowed red once again, "all shall work in time, soon you will be free… Malefor."

* * *

 _Close towards Dragon's Edge…_

After some time of flying, Dark Spyro had manage to find a nearby Island that held a cave for cover. He flew down at sonic speeds, then floated to the ground. As he touched the ground, his large, dark wings retracted as he walked into the cave. He carried Cynder and the gems in his arms as he entered. Dark Spyro set Cynder down on the ground, and the gems next to her. Taking a few seconds, Spyro looked at his mate. She was badly off, to a point where Spyro thought his imagination took over his mind. Many of her scales were missing, revealing the fleshy areas underneath. Blood stains and wounds covered her body, yet she was still breathing. In an instant, Spyro reverted back to his previous self. The darkness faded, but was instantly replaced with grievance. He reached for the bag, and opened to reveal the contents within. There were only two red gems left, and several greens. He contemplated about using the last of his red gems.

' _No, I should save them in case of an emergency,'_ he looked back and forth between Cynder and the gem in his paws. _'Ugh, this IS an emergency!'_ Quickly, he put a gem in Cynder's paws, and closed it. The gen gave a soft, red glow that surrounded Cynder. It continued for a moment before ceasing. She didn't look much better than before, but it did its job. His eyes became heavy with sadness. He placed his head near hers and cried. He cried like there was no tomorrow, and continued sobbing her name for a long period of time until he fell asleep.

* * *

 _Hiccup's Journal. Entry 404: Subject: Mysterious Dragons._

 _We attempted to bond with these dragons, and attempted to show we weren't a threat to them. However, fate held a different approach. An incident which sparked a battle occurred, caused by the Twins and Snotlout. A battle raged on, to which the female dragon had a advantage: turning into a mist in order to evade or ambush. Sounds good for anything, really. It took out Stoick and his dragon like nothing… and forced me to fire on the other dragon in fury. Toothless and I… fired a charged plasma shot that knocked the female dragon down. At first, it appeared I had killed, and I thought I actually did take an innocent life. My actions made the other dragon enraged. It turned black and used abilities only legends could describe. Beams of pure hate that can destroy solid rock formations, a vast elemental arsenal, the ability to SPEAK in the human tongue; it is quite incredible to see this if it weren't in such a bad situation. As of this date of entry, it has taken down and injured us all._

 _To make note of the female dragon, it appeared to be somehow alive after our battle. It gave me relief that I didn't take her life, but I'm still torn over my actions. The enraged dragon took off in a direction, West most likely. Right now, however, I need to focus on the well being of my team._

 _A mental note for myself in the future, use the names the dragons called themselves._

 _The female was named "Cynder" and the purple one was called "Spyro?" I will have to check later, but as of right now, reconstruction is at order._

* * *

That sums up the chapter! What will the future hold for our heroes? What is Barrage's main goal with Malefor? And what is Krogan up to? Find out next time!

 **PLEASE R &R! **


	5. Chapter 5: The Voices in the Mind

Well. With Cynder back, evil lurking in the ashes of the fallen, and an injured team, let's see how this goes on for all, and what else that is lurking in the shadows...

* * *

 _Dragon's Edge, after the battle against Dark Spyro…_

A few hours after the battle, the A-team had arrived and began to help out with damage control. They brought along with them the most experienced healers with them to assist in relief efforts. They had managed to stop any fires from spreading, able to locate any fleeing dragons, and were beginning to repair the damage done to the huts.

Hiccup and Toothless were walking up towards the meeting hall, where the wounded were kept. Toothless was best kept grounded to make sure he wouldn't strain himself and end up in a worse condition then he already was in. That fact didn't stop Hiccup, he had to know if his mistake costed him the lives of his friends. That feeling kept surfacing in his mind when a little voice in his head whispered to him.

" _Go…",_ It was his own voice, but light. Hiccup picked up the pace, speed walking up the ramps towards the halls.

" _Faster…",_ It whispered again but louder. As is the voice was mind controlling him, Hiccup began to jog, with his dragon struggling to keep up.

" _FASTER, IDIOT! YOUR FRIENDS ARE DYING BECAUSE OF YOU!"_ The voice screeched in his head. Hiccup lost all sense of control. He ran as fast as he could go, emotions riding over him like waves on a beach. His dragon roared from behind him, telling him to slow down, but Hiccup didn't stop. The hall got closer in view. Hiccup's eyes began to tear up. Voices could be heard from inside. As Hiccup approached the open door, he slid to a screeching halt in the doorway. The room was dead quiet as everyone stopped and looked at the Viking boy. A moment later, his dragon arrived next to him, looking slightly annoyed by the sudden run. Hiccup walked in the hall, looking all around to see his injured teammates, being treated on by doctors. A large feeling of regret swooped in him. He caught a glimpse of Astrid and Fishlegs looking at him, as if we went insane from paranoia. A nearby doctor working on her stopped what he was doing and walked over to Hiccup, with a nearby assistant taking over his job.

"How are they?" Hiccup asked, looking at the doctor with tears in his eyes.

The doctor sighed, "well… with Astrid here, she can be back on her feet in a day or two no problem."

"And what about them?" Hiccup gestured towards Fishlegs and the still unconscious team members.

The doctor's expression faded, "Fishlegs… he's sustained an impact fracture on the skull and right arm, multiple bruises and cuts from when he was struck down and hit by those 'ice attacks'. He may not be ready for a couple weeks. Regarding the others," he paused, silence filled the room for a moment before continuing, "we aren't completely sure about them. They are alive, without a doubt, but If what you said is true about these dragons and their 'abilities'. We may have to face the possibility of unforeseen effects, or… the possibility that they may never wake again…" His voice was low, with hints of grievance.

"WHAT!?" Hiccup shouted.

"We… don't know if time will be able to fix this, or if there is a cure for this. We have no study of these kind of effects," the doctor defended himself. Hiccup looked frustrated beyond imagination; truly, this week has been a hell-hole to him, but he had to remain strong.

"And.. my father?" Hiccup looked down in anger, balling his fists. The doctor took a step back, but regained his composure.

"Stoick is responding well to current treatment, though he may have a few scars. I estimate he will be ready in a week or two!" The doctor tried to reassure Hiccup, but judging by his looks, it didn't help one bit.

"And what of their dragons?" Hiccup asked.

"W-Well, Stormfly and your dragon are in the best shape compared to the others. Skullcrusher is having trouble standing up, and Meatlug isn't much better. She's takes a lot of hits, and not to mention that fall; I think she will recover, however. Barf, Belch, and Hookfang are in the same state as their riders," the doctor straightened himself up.

"Thank you, doctor," Hiccup's voice was dark and filled with anger, but it wasn't powerful compared to Dark Spyro's. He walked out of the hall, fists still balled up. As he got on the outside platforms, his dragon cooed. Toothless nudged his rider, which slightly broke his angered trance.

"I know, bud," Hiccup scratched Toothless' head as they watched the sunset.

' _My only question now is whether we should seek revenge, or seek redemption…'_

* * *

Spyro's eyes slowly opened when he heard the sounds of something shivering. He looked down to see Cynder and himself shivering in the cold grounds of the cave.

He looked under him to see Cynder shivering like she was having a seizure.

"Damn it. The fire must have gone out," Spyro muttered. He rose off of the rocky ground, and looked at the fireplace he had made. All the firewood was burnt to a crisp. He attempted to go outside to grab more for the night, but he began to wobble. That battle with those dragons and the creatures who riding them had wore him down. Looking to the nearby bag of gems, he slowly made his way towards it. He reached into the bag and grabbed two green gems, one in each hand. With all his might, he smashed the crystals with his claws. They shattered and a green aura similar to the red one filled the cave. As the mist entered his body, he felt his strength return quickly. His chest expanded for a moment, then relaxed. As it ended, he glanced back towards the shivering Cynder. He grabbed another gem, and walked over to her. Slowly, he placed the gem in her hand, and squeezed her paw. The gem cracked. As the gem began to glow, he quickly retracted his paw. The aura floated around her and entered her for a moment, before ceasing. Spyro leaned in close towards her ear.

"Be strong, Cynder," Spyro muttered to her, "because I need you… I love you." Spyro quickly turned around and flew out of the cave in search of firewood.

However, he didn't not see the figure standing on top of the cave entrance, watching him as he flew out.

As soon as Spyro left, the figure jumped down onto the ground. He landed with a loud thud. He quickly walked into the cave, not wanting to be seen. His eyes darted around to examine everything, before his eyes spotted what he was looking for. There he saw Cynder, shivering in the cold, and a bag. He walked up closer to the black dragoness, and examined the wounds before backing off.

"Ugh! This is worse than we feared," he muttered, as if he was talking to someone. Just then, a dragon head appeared to his right shoulder. His head was faded, like an apparition, but his features were keen. His scales were blue, and the effect around him was a blue mist.

"Oh, no…" the dragon said, looking at the battle scarred Cynder.

"What do we do?" The figure questioned.

"Do you still have the gems?" The blue dragon head asked, panic ensued his voice. The figure nodded, and reached into his clothing pockets. In his hands, he pulled out a few red gems.

"Excellent!" You know what to do."

The figure walked up and placed a gem next to her, and smashed it with his foot. A red mist captivated the dragon for a moment, then ceased.

"Leave the rest for Spyro to find, Vortex. He must know that someone is on his side," the dragon commanded. The figure, apparently named Vortex, nodded and left the gems nearby. He exited the cave just in time,as he watched Spyro fly back into it. It didn't seem like he notice him leave, so that was good.

"Now, I want you to help them and any others that need it, but remain out of sight unless absolutely necessary," the dragon instructed.

"I will do as you say," Vortex nodded back. The dragon head disappeared into a mist, and was no more.

Vortex looked into the sunset, "I will do what you wish me to fulfil… Chronicler." He then disappeared into the shadows, and was gone like the wind.

Spyro manage to find a large stack of firewood within the forest around them. It will do for now. Spyro only hoped that it will suffice for the night. As he returned from the the forest to the cave's entrance, he noticed the shadows dancing around. Spyro thought his mind was playing tricks on him, and proceeded to enter the cave. He touched down on the rocky ground and walked to Cynder. As Spyro passed by Cynder, he noticed something red next to her. He set the firewood aside for the moment and investigated, but was shocked to see what he had discovered. There lying next to her was a very small pile of red gems. Spyro examined the gems, wondering as to where they came from. They weren't from his bag, he only has one left, right? He dashed to the gem back and opened it up. Within contained a handful of green gems and one red gem.

"What the…" Spyro's voice trailed off as he examined everything around him. There was nothing out of order, nothing missing… they were just there. Spyro smiled a little. He knew that there was someone out there that was trying to help, who it was, that was the question. Spyro shook the thoughts out of his head as he grabbed the firewood. He dragged close towards Cynder, where the original pieces of wood once were. As soon as he places the wood down, he used his fiery breath to light the wood. The wood instantly blew up in flames. It cackled and burned, generating a comforting warmth for the two dragons. Spyro noticed after lighting the wood that Cynder's shivering slowed, but it didn't stop. He returned next to her and lied next to her. He wrapped his wing around her, yawned, and closed his eyes as tiredness consumed him.

* * *

 _On Berserker Island…_

Barrage looked close and his scout's first reports of these new dragons. There was a massive crater, inside contained many purple crystal fragments. A voice suddenly reached him in his head.

 _ **"Have you located the impact site?"**_ It was very dark.

"Yes…" Barrage muttered, his eyes glowing yellow.

 ** _"Good. Retrieve the crystals and bring them back, I will give you further instructions as you progress,"_** the voice bellowed. Barrage jumped in and grabbed as many as he could, putting them in a nearby sack. There were many, but Barrage managed to collect almost all of them when the voice spoke again.

 _ **"Excellent. You have done well,"**_ the voice seemed impressed by the fast work Barrage had done.

"Thank you, master," Barrage replied, stretching his limbs.

" _ **Now, go… and we shall finish what we've started…"**_ it commanded, and the voice went silent. Barrage threw on his his cloak, the hood of it covering his facial features. He hopped out the crater, crystals in tow. As he was about to disappear into the wind…

"Hey! Who are you?" A voice rang from behind him. Barrage turned around to see two Dragonriders behind him. One was a female, wearing silver plated armor. Her dragon, similar in color, had its spiny tail out. The other was a redhead, with a partially shaved beard. He was riding a scorpion like dragon, with three stingers as its tail. They looked ready to fight, but he didn't have time for it.

"None of your business, now leave me alone," Barrage replied back, glaring at them. He knew they couldn't see his face, but his eyes shine bright.

"What are you doing?" The female interrogated.

"Like I said, none of your damn business," Barrage's reply was cold.

"Drop what your carrying! Your coming with us," the other laughed.

Well… if you want to fight…" Barrage took off the hood of his cloak, revealing his dragon-like face to them. They looked stunned, with their dragons giving the same look.

Barrage growled, a red glow emanating from his eyes. "Lets dance…", and charged at them. He fired ice shards, which their dragons deflected the shots, but just made them more surprised than they were. The silver dragon used its tail to slice Barrage, but he jumped over them and breathed a large ice attack as he flew over them. It struck the rider and dragon, and knocked them out. The other looked worried at first, then outraged from Barrage attacking the other fallen rider. He yelled and charged, but Barrage appeared in front of the dragon. This startled them both, and could be seen on their face. Barrage balled his fist, his claws engulfed in an icy flame, and punched the dragon. They flew back to a wall, hard, and landed on the ground unconscious.

"Not even worth my time…" Barrage brushed his arms from dust and dirt. He disappeared from the island, and reappeared in his planning hall. He walked over to his table and placed the sack on top of it.

 _ **"Good job with this insolent creatures,"**_ the voice complimented.

"Thanks. Now what about these crystals?" Barrage inquiried.

 ** _"I want you to find something. Something I know the 'former organization' you work for holds,"_** The voice emphasized. Barrage turned and headed for a nearby cabinet. He opened it up to reveal scrolls and papers.

"What am I looking for, exactly?" Barrage questioned.

 _ **"Convexity and Aether…"**_ the voice replied. It was dark, and trailed a little. Barrage halted for a moment, before continuing until he pulled out a scroll. He placed it in his claws and opened it. He read the texts.

"Hmm, how interesting…" Barrage muttered.

 _ **"Now, do you know what you must find, and where?"**_ The voice inquired.

"Oh, I know what your seeking, and I know where one is, but," Barrage trailed off.

 ** _"But..?"_** the voice pressed a feeling that forced his voice out.

"We must go to the ancient homestead of my people, my race," he placed the scroll down, pausing for a moment before continuing, "we must go to Mertazlok, home of the Orders of Dracoda."

* * *

I know I brought a lot of new OCs in, but they will make the story better… hopefully.

Btw, this chapter is a little shorter because it will build up future chapters.

 **PLEASE R &R! IT WILL HELP ME BECOME BETTER! :D**


	6. Chapter 6: Healing

Anticipation grows as dark forces rise. What are their plans? Can our heros stop it? Find out now… maybe…

* * *

 _In Barrage's lair…_

 _ **"The Orders of Dracoda?"**_ The voice questioned.

"Yes, master. That is the organization that I was brought under, and the group I… used to work for," Barrage looked away.

 _ **"What is the matter?"**_ The voice asked, but got no reply from the dragon. It became annoyed, **_"I am Malefor! Your master! You will-"._**

"We were once a warrior race, much like the humans…" Barrage replied with a low voice, "we thrived throughout the land, and were a mighty force to be reckoned with. However, the humans countered us and nearly killed all of us off. They wiped out village after village as they approached. We managed to escape before they hit our last major city, and we hid away in the dark. Eventually, we made a refuge on the island that is known today as 'Mertazlok'. Instead of focusing on making major towns at the start, we carved away into the mountains and made temples around it. We lived like that for 200 years. We had focused on using our elemental abilities as our main way of power and life. During my time there, I focused on mastering all of them, but I was only able to work with three out of five. Unlike all the other dragons, my power output was much weaker compared to the others, and they made fun of me for it. I then sought forth a way to amplify my powers. It took my ages to even begin this quest; then one day, I finally found what I had needed to boost my powers beyond comprehension… Convexity. It gave new abilities beyond what we could even dream of: teleportation, telekinesis/gravitational manipulation, and the use of magic. When I tried to show my findings to the Council of Dracoda… they called me a traitor to my own heritage, a necromancer, it made me sick. It got to a point where the Council just decided to banish me. And they did, as well a few people who tried to support or follow me. That was so long ago…. Now I am here, preparing to go back to where I was cast away from and siege it," Barrage gave a monologue about his and his race's past.

 ** _"Sounds similar to my own story, but now is not the time for flashbacks! We must go now!"_** Malefor's voiced bellowed.

"I…," Barrage managed out as he hung his head low. He could feel Malefor rolling his eyes.

 _ **"What?"**_ Malefor sounded agitated.

"I don't have enough power to take them all on… even though I just took on those Dragonriders easy… I…," Barrage muttered.

 _ **"Ugh… here,"**_ grunted Malefor's voice said in annoyance. All of a sudden, Barrage exploded in red light. When it ended, he inspected himself in shock of what happened. His body became more human-like, yet still had key dragon features. He had longer arms and legs, and his tail was sharper. His face still felt the same, but he couldn't be sure. He looked into a nearby mirror to inspect the new changes, admiring new features and looks.

 _ **"Not only your… appearance changed, but also your powers are far superior to what they once were. With all FIVE elements to your disposal, you will be able to take Mertazlok with ease and retrieve the final part necessary for our plan. For now, rest, you deserve it...,"**_ Malefor's voice echoed in his mind, then disappeared.

"Yes, master," Barrage's eyes glowed red for a moment. He flew his hood over his head to test his looks with it. It felt uncomfortable within certain areas, probably because of his new features. The hood surprisingly felt more comfortable than in the past, but nevertheless hid his face. He took it off and hung it on a wall. He lied down on a bed, and closed his eyes. He tossed and turned to try and become more comfortable with his new features. He would prepare for his journey to his destination: Mertazlok; home to the Orders of Dracoda; right now he was tired. His mind wandered off, and soon, his sleepiness claimed him.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, on Dragon's Edge…_

One day after the Riders' battle with Dark Spyro, things had started looking up for the team. The others regained consciousness, which absolutely thrilled the doctors. Their dragons were slowly healing, but if they had their hands on some of those red gems, then they could be up and going in a few hours.

It was early in the morning. Hiccup sat on the ledge of the meeting hall, his feet dangling of the edge. He was pondering his next move with those dragons, but he couldn't risk the team. Not after what he did to them…

Before he could start tearing up, his dragon showed up at his side and nudged him in the face. Hiccup broke from his trance and laughed as Toothless nudged his head into his shoulders.

"Hey, bud. Feeling better?" Hiccup asked his dragon, who roared back.

"Well that's good to hear. Think you can fly?" He raised an eyebrow, keeping his smile. His dragon flapped his wings in triumph, as if showing he was the only dragon that could fly.

"Good to see, haha! Now, I need to ask you something bud," He broke his happy trend to where he could face his dragon seriously. His dragon seemed to notice and looked at him, "do you think we can fly out there and find those dragons?" His dragon gave an immediate growl.

Hiccup raised his hands and shook them in a fit of panic, "woah, woah, woah, bud! Listen!" His dragon calmed down, a little. "I know you want to blast that dragon for what he's done to the place and everyone, but listen. That was _our_ fault, no… _MY_ fault, bud, it's all on me that they all got hurt. It's also on me to find those dragons and make sure their okay and to redeem myself for what I've done to its mate. Please, bud. Help me mend this wound, and if you do help, don't fire at them unless absolutely necessary, okay?" Toothless didn't like what Hiccup was saying, his facial expression proved it, but slowly, he gave in.

"Thanks bud. I can always count on you for everything," Hiccup scratched Toothless' head, who rolled over in excitement from the scratching.

Hiccup stopped scratching his dragon' head, and stood up. "I'll be right back out, then we'll go find those dragons," Hiccup told his dragon. He walked back into the hall, and looked at everyone. Astrid was up and helping around since she, and Hiccup, are in the best condition out of the others. Fishlegs was still being treated for the head injury. Snotlout and the Twins were being tested upon after the strange attack. Stoick was in the back, trying to stretch his muscles.

Hiccup approached Astrid, who was helping with the bandages. She turned around and smiled. "Hey, Hiccup!"

"Astrid, I need to tell you something," Hiccup was serious. Astrid dropped the smile.

"I'm gonna go find those dragons," Hiccup stated

"What? You can't go out there alone! Their powers are far beyond anything we've seen before!" Astrid exclaimed, but then lowered her voice, "you could die…"

"I know, but it was my fault we go into this mess, and it's up to me to bring us out of it," Hiccup said with determination fueling his eyes.

Astrid knew she couldn't talk him out of this. She sighed in defeat, "okay, Hiccup," She came up close and gave him a small kiss on the cheek, "be careful."

"I will. I promise," Hiccup smiled, before running out of the room. Astrid saw him hop onto his dragon and fly off.

"I hope you keep your promise," was all she could say before going back inside.

* * *

Spyro woke once again to something Cynder was doing. He opened his eyes, but instantly closed them from the light of the sun. He lifted a wing to block out the orb of pain. After a brief moment, his eyes adjusted to his surroundings. He heard a groan, but it didn't come from him. He looked down to see Cynder's head moving, as if trying to wake from a nightmare. His eyes instantly widened and he shot upright. Cynder was lying on her back, with her head tossing and turning.

"Cynder, Cynder!" Spyro nudged her. She stirred, but didn't wake up.

Cynder, please. Come back to me," Spyro's eyes teared up, "please… I need you with me…"

She groaned, but nothing more. Spyro all of the sudden shouted, but not a scream, "PLEASE! I NEED YOU WITH ME! PLEASE! Please… I love you…" He let all his emotions overwhelm him and cried. There was so many emotions, it hurt as much as this to name them all. He sobbed, and sobbed like there was no tomorrow. He heard shuffling nearby, he looked up to see her paws and wings flinching. Her tired eyelids were moving, and a moan escaped her.

"Cynder..?"

* * *

Cynder opened her eyes to look around her, only to be filled with confusion. Everything around her was white, surrounded in small, puffy clouds. She became startled when she realized she standing on one. Confused as to how she is somehow on top of a cloud, she began to poke at it.

"Don't bother trying to, nothing will happen," a voice rang from behind her. Startled even more, she turned around to see a creature behind her. It was tall, similar to the size of Hunter. It had the ears similar to that of a cheetah, but had a muzzle… a smiling muzzle. Its eyes were cobalt, and the smile exposed it's fangs. It wore a brown cloak around its body. Underneath was some silver plated armor, with dragon decorated designs on it. The hood covered some shoulder pads underneath. She could see a tail behind the figure; it looked fluffy, yet small. Cynder could see it had a grey body.

"Who the hell are you, and where am I?" Cynder rapidly asked the two questions.

"Patience, my dear Cynder," it responded.

Cynder was slightly taken back, "you… know who I am?"

It chuckled, "oh, yes I do. Now, allow me introduce myself: I am Vortex, Taskmaster to-," He said something, but a eerie noise filled the area, and she couldn't hear the rest of what he said.

"Taskmaster to who?" She leaned in closer so she could better understand, but saw him frown.

"I see… well, I can't say that then, okay. Now, second answer! We are in the subconscious parts of your mind," Vortex frowned, then clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

"Wait, we' in _my_ mind right now?" Cynder slightly denying the events unfolding now, but it was pointless to do so when it's happening.

"Yes. Your mind is still recovering from your battle and death," Vortex nodded.

"Wait, my death? I'm so confused," Cynder's mind pretty much hightailed out of her head.

"Yes, that last attack the human hit you with killed you. You were brought back by the power of the red gems, just in time, too," Vortex stated.

"Human..? I've never heard of a human before. Where are we, exactly? Besides... being in my mind, I mean outside, the land."

"To you and your kind, this is an unknown realm. Things here work, differently. Some groups of humans, the ones you encountered, have a companionship with dragon kind here. Others have a tendency to hunt them for their own purposes," Vortex said.

"Why..?" Cynder asked the taskmaster.

"Hell if I know, their own reasoning, I suppose," he shrugged.

"Okay, so those dragons. I have never seen those kind of dragons before, what are they. Do they speak at all?" Cynder asked hurriedly.

"No, they don't speak like you and Spyro do. To humans, you are a unique thing in life, and they are curious creatures. They will try to find out how you are able to talk, one way or another. As for the dragons, they are different from your realm. Each have their own unique abilities and looks. One can spray a explosive gas out of one head and another ignites it, one can shoot spikes from its tail, one can ignite themselves into fire, there are many different dragon abilities each one holds. It's ridiculous to try and describe them all! There are books that hold more answers of dragons, they would be better sources of information than I am," Vortex stated, fidgeting with his hands as he talked.

Cynder attempted to process all this, but gripped her head with her claws, "gah, I'm so confused!"

"I know, and I'm sorry about all of this," Vortex tried to reassure her. All of a sudden, an eerie sound converged all around them, making them look around in panic. The room began to shake violently, Cynder saw Vortex's eyes widen, as if he never knew about this.

Vortex turned to Cynder, his eyes glowing blue, "you must know this and tell it to Spyro! Evil is rising out of the shadows of Malefor, and you two must stop it!"

"Wait, WHAT? I-" Cynder tried to speak.

"GO!" Vortex shouted and the room exploded in light.

* * *

Her eyes were heavy, everything was in pain. A moan escaped her. She could hear someone crying.

"...der..?" She heard someone speak. That voice…

With all her might, she pushed herself to act. With all her will, she barely managed to open her eyes. Everything around was blurry, but she could see a purple object in front of her. As her vision sharpened, the object became clearer. The purple scales on its became noticeable, and the detailed, golden underbelly was visible. Her eyes watered at who behind her sight. With a weak voice, she called out to the dragon in front of her. "Spyro…".

* * *

 _In a nearby forest..._

Vortex opened his glowing blue eyes, and looked around. He was still here, nothing around him happened. He looked down at himself; he was still in a meditative pose on the ground. His clothing was slightly wrinkled, but he didn't care. He turned to a nearby tree. His armor and hood were lying beside of it, untouched. He stood up and walked to his belongings.

"Did you tell her?" The Chronicler's voice rang in his head as he put on his armor. The Chronicler's head appeared in a flame like apparition next to Vortex.

"About what you told me? She had many questions, so not really. I told her about the upcoming evil, but… the connection failed. I am unsure if she got it," Vortex responded, fitting a chest piece on himself.

"I see… well, no matter. The time has come to act!" The Chronicler stated.

"What, now? We can't! They haven't-"

"I know, but this evil must be dealt with swiftly!" The Chronicler said with a look.

Vortex gave a sigh, "alright… it's time to pay a little visit to the Dragonriders."

"I think I can help with that," someone said behind them. Vortex averted his gaze behind him to see a greenish-blue dragon, with yellow eyes, carrying a bag. "And I know of the evil that you speak of."

* * *

Acts must be taken, but what will become of our teams? Find out next time!

 **PLEASE R &R! **


	7. Chapter 7: Motives

I really love creating this! There is something about this that's so invigorating in my soul and I love it!

Anyway, I don't have much to say, so here's chapter 7! :D

* * *

"Who the hell are you?" Vortex growled as he got into a defensive stance.

"Viper, once a scout to my master, but after seeing his evil ways. I cannot stand by his beliefs anymore," Viper hanged his head solemnly, ashamed of what he's seen and done.

Vortex's eyes flared orange for a brief second. _'He's not lying. There's no negativity around him and what he said. So, that's good,'_ Vortex voice echoed in his mind as he stood down from his position.

' _See what he knows,'_ The Chronicler's voice spoke in his head.

"Okay, so: Who is your master?" Vortex questioned the dragon.

"His name is Barrage, and he used to work and live under the Orders of Dracoda, but was exiled for his works of 'dark magics'," Viper responded.

"Alright, next question: what was his plan? And what does it have to do with you?" Vortex inquired, raising a furry eyebrow.

"He wanted me to get these to him, but if I know him. He would've gotten some, too," Viper said as he showed the bag and gave it to Vortex. Vortex opened the bag and pulled out purplish-pink crystals. "You know those two dragons that showed up?" Vortex nodded, "well, those crystals arrived with them."

"Huh…" Vortex studied the crystal. He could feel the power coursing in it. It was depleted, but there. He looked up to the dragon, "tell me. How did he know about these?"

"Recently, he came into contact with a spirit or something like that. It molded him as his servant, sometimes I hear him talking to somebody, but there is nobody around," Viper told the taskmaster.

Vortex pointed the crystal at Viper, "alright, but who **is** his master?"

"I don't know their full name, but I've heard him muttering some weird name from time to time. It was like "Male-dor" or "Mele-tor"; something along those lines," Viper told him. Viper watched Vortex panic as he heard him speak.

"No… that can't be right…" Vortex took a step back in denial.

"W-What is it? Do you know it?" Viper asked, tilting his head.

"Not it, **HIM**. His name is Malefor or sometimes referred to as the Dark Lord, and he is very dangerous. He caused the near extinction of multiple races," Vortex had a serious expression, and his voice was dark.

"Oh no…" Viper's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it... he was with a being that wanted to bring eternal chaos in this world.

"Listen, if your right about your master's plan, the Archipelago. No, **THE WORLD** is at risk! We can't let that happen!" Vortex balled his fist has he spoke.

"What do we do? If he's that powerful as you say he is, then how can we stop him?" Viper asked.

Vortex put a paw under his chin, thinking for a moment, before snapping his fingers. He smiled, "I have an idea! Go back to your master as a spy for me. If he drives you out, get as far away from as you possibly can." Vortex reached behind him and handed Viper a small, white crystal, "smash that if he drives you out. It will let me know about your status. Meet back here tomorrow at dusk, and bring any information you can! I'll see about warning the area' inhabitants around, got it?" Vortex spoke the plan to Viper, who nodded back after hearing it through.

"Good, today's the day you redeem yourself, Viper. I wish the best of luck," Vortex laid a hand on his back.

"Thanks, Vortex. Right now, I must be off!" Viper smiled before dashing into the forest. As soon as he disappeared into the brushes, Vortex paced in panic.

"No, no, no, no, no! I thought he was dead!" Vortex rushed his sentence.

 _"Calm yourself, we must know more about this situation. If this "Barrage" wants to bring back Malefor, he must be waiting for something,"_ The Chronicler spoke again. Vortex looked at the dragon head, before heeding his words.

"Your right," Vortex looked into the brushes where Viper disappeared, "my only hope is that we're not too late…". Vortex looked around at his surroundings to see if anyone was overhearing the conversation, but didn't sense anything off. His eyes caught a bright green bush that was larger than the others. He stared at the bush for a few moments before grabbing the bag, snapping his fingers, and disappearing from sight.

* * *

"CYNDER!" Spyro shouted for joy as he hugged Cynder tightly, crying over her shoulders.

"...spyro, can't…. breathe…." Cynder gasped out, feeling her body being crushed by the purple dragon. Spyro instantly jumped back to give the dragoness some air.

"S-Sorry! It just… I'M SO GLAD YOUR ALIVE!" Spyro hugged her again, this time lighter so she could breathe.

"Anymore hugs like these, I think I'll die again," Cynder jested, which got a little laugh from Spyro. He backed off once again.

"How do you feel?" Spyro asked as he saw her having trouble standing. He leaned nearby so she could get up easier.

"Tired… everything hurts…" She stated, giving a groan while putting a paw near her stomach.

"Here, use these," Spyro handed her two red gems. She was in shock.

"Where did you find these?" She asked as she crushed the crystals and their powers went to work.

"Surprisingly, when I came back from finding firewood in the middle of the night, they were laying on the ground right next to you. I had no idea where they came from, they were just… there," Spyro explained to her.

"Strange…" was all Cynder could say.

"Yeah, had to use a couple of our green gems, too. Sorry," Spyro said, kinda embarrassed.

"It's fine, Spyro," Cynder smiled, which the purple dragon returned. They both stared at each other for a brief moment before a thought suddenly shot through Cynder's mind.

"Spyro, I need to ask you something," Cynder said.

"Okay, what is it?" Spyro tilted his head.

"Does the name 'Vortex' ring any bells?" Cynder asked.

Spyro put a paw under his chin. There was a long pause before he replied, "no, it doesn't sound familiar. Why do you ask?"

"Well… when I was out? I'm still not sure about what happened, but I was in some sort of area, surrounded by clouds. There was a figure standing there with me. He wasn't like anything I've seen before, but had a couple features like the Cheetahs. I can't remember much, but his name was Vortex, and he was a taskmaster to someone. When he said who he was working for, a weird noise filled the room and I didn't hear what he said. He told me a few things about this place and the inhabitants." Spyro looked at her with the most puzzling look he has ever shown. Cynder giggled, "yeah, I know, but his facial expression wasn't denying about him. He also told me to give a warning: evil lurks from the ashes of the fallen."

"Hmm… I wonder what he meant by that…" Spyro put the paw back under his chin. He looked back up to Cynder, "now, can you move around?"

Cynder, still weak, walked towards the cave entrance. "I guess you can, but I should accompany you."

"Where are we going?" Cynder asked.

"Out to get a delicious meal for your recovery! What do you say?" Spyro winked.

Cynder did need the energy. She smiled, "yeah. Sounds good." The two walked out of the cave, smiling happily at each other while Cynder explained what she remembered what Vortex said about the place.

* * *

8 hours of flying, nothing at the islands they passed. It was getting close to dark soon, he needed to find those dragons; if not today, then soon, hopefully.

Hiccup opened up the map and pulled out a pencil. He scratched an X on the Islands he visited with no luck.

"Well we can cross off those islands off the list," Hiccup laughed a little. His dragon grunted in annoyance.

"What?" Hiccup shrugged. Toothless growled a kind of growl when he says he's tired.

"I know bud, we gotta find those dragons!" Hiccup responded. Toothless roared.

Hiccup sighed, "okay, how about we check these groups of islands up ahead, then we'll go back home?" Toothless seemed to like the idea.

"Alright, deal! Now let's s check out this island up ahead!" Hiccup laughed as they flew towards a nearby island. It was a lustrous island, with a ton of forest ground, a mountain, and several large pools and caves. It was perfect for hiding, and possibly where those dragons were hiding. As they touched down, Hiccup noticed footprints on the beach. He got off Toothless and bent down to examine the paw prints left behind. There were claw marks present, with a couple impact points on the ground from time to time; they were here. They weren't completely fresh, however.

"Well, bud. Looks like we might have found what we were looking for," Hiccup said as he turned to Toothless. Hiccup stood up and pressed onward, but could tell his dragon rolled his eyes. They passed through a dense forest. Thick trees and bushes covered their view as they pushed aside the branches. The prints kept going forward, Hiccup prepared for himself for the encounter to come.

He heard something metallic up ahead, could it be? Hiccup stopped Toothless, and put a finger on his lips; signaling Toothless to be quiet around here. His dragon complied, and walked tip toeing. They got closer to the source of the metal.

A voice struck his ears, "... -hing along those lines." It didn't sound like the dragons he had heard previously.

"No… that can't be right…" another voice reached his ears. That voice wasn't familiar either, who were they? As they attempted to get closer, the conversation dimmed a little from moving brushes of leaves out of the way, but as they got to a brightly covered bush. The duo saw who was the two people talking and couldn't believe their eyes. One was a dragon-like creature, with greenish-blue scales. It wasn't standing on all fours, just its hind legs. The other was a wolf-like creature wearing armor? That seemed impossible, but then again with those dragons and their god-like powers… impossible seemed like an understatement.

"W-What is it? Do you know it?" The dragon seemed nervous about something. What is it talking about?

"Not it, **HIM**. His name is Malefor or sometimes referred to as the Dark Lord, and he is very dangerous. He caused the near extinction of multiple races," The wolf had a very serious glare. Hiccup eyes widened to what he just heard.

"Oh no…" the dragon looked fearful, like he had committed a crime by accident.

"Listen, if your right about your master's plan, the Archipelago. No, **THE WORLD** is at risk! We can't let that happen!" the wolf balled his fist has he spoke. Hiccup made a note of this as the two continued talking.

"What do we do? If he's that powerful as you say he is, then how can we stop him?" the dragon asked. A part of that dragon reminded him of Fishlegs.

Hiccup watched the wolf put a paw under his chin, thinking for a moment, before snapping his fingers. He smiled, "I have an idea! Go back to your master as a spy for me. If he drives you out, get as far away from as you possibly can." It reached behind him and handed the dragon a small, white crystal, "smash that if he drives you out. It will let me know about your status. Meet back here tomorrow at dusk, and bring any information you can! I'll see about warning the area's inhabitants around, got it?" The wolf spoke the plan to dragon, who nodded back after hearing it through ang putting away the crystal. Hiccup noticed a small bag filled with small, purple crystals near the two.

"Good, today's the day you redeem yourself, Viper. I wish the best of luck," the wolf laid a hand on the apparently named Viper's back. Where did _they_ come from? UGH, this was getting to confusing for Hiccup!

"Thanks, Vortex. Right now, I must be off!" Viper smiled before dashing into the forest. As soon as he disappeared into the brushes, the wolf, Vortex, paced in panic.

"No, no, no, no, no! I thought he was dead!" Vortex rushed his sentence. There was a moment of silence. Hiccup didn't understand what was happening at the moment, nor did he want to try anything that might get himself killed at the moment. He noticed this Vortex look up at something, though he couldn't see what. Was he talking to someone or imagining it? Hiccup had no idea.

"Your right," Vortex looked into the brushes where Viper disappeared, "my only hope is that we're not too late…". Who was he talking to? Hiccup noticed that the wolf had turned his gaze upon the bush they were hiding in, as if searching deeply into something. Hiccup froze in fear, hoping that he didn't get caught, or that he wouldn't find him if he wasn't already. The wolf grabbed the bag, snapped his fingers, and disappeared. Hiccup looked all around to see where it could've went, but couldn't find it. Hiccup and Toothless walked out of the bush, both startled over the conversation they heard. Hiccup speed walked to Toothless and grabbed a notebook to write all he heard down.

"I don't know about what we just heard, bud; but if they were speaking the truth… we have **WAY MORE** on our hands than we think…" Toothless roared in agreement.

"Alright, let's find those dragons, fast! Then head home to warn the others!" Hiccup said. The two kept wandering the forest, quickly following behind the prints. They arrived at a cave, but there was nobody there, but more paw prints. The prints doubled, and were fresh, they were close; and it appears the other one was conscious, that's good. The two ran through the forest, not wasting anymore time as they followed the new set of prints.

More voices hit his ear. Sounds like laughter… there were no known settlements here. THEY HAD TO BE CLOSE! A thick line of bushes covered the view. Not wasting any time, Hiccup grabbed his Inferno sword and sliced through the bushes.

On the other side, sitting near a small lake, were the two dragons, startled by Hiccup's entry. The purple one instantly broke out of his trance and growled deeply. It spoke in it's deep voice like that it had in the battle.

" **YOU…** "

* * *

YAY! Chapter 7 is done! Few things to note!

1\. This chapter had to be cut down for my sake and the story (not gonna lie, that moment where Hiccup last encountered Vortex felt like a good place to leave a cliffhanger, but that would feel stupid if I'm honest, lol).

2\. I want to try and make larger chapters in the future, so my upload might be longer to anticipate, but there are no promises here, okay?

3\. I might go ahead with my series that I'm working on, but I'm still unsure yet…

edited on 4/7/19 for grammar and story

 **PLEASE R &R! IT WILL HELP ME BECOME BETTER FOR THE FUTURE! :D**


	8. Chapter 8: Acts of Anger

Well well well, look what we have here…

How will this end...

* * *

" **YOU…** " That voice still sends shivers down Hiccup's spine.

"Umm yeah, hi. I-," Hiccup tried to speak as he swallowed his fears.

" **YOU WERE THE ONE TO ATTACK CYNDER, THE ONE I LOVE DEARLY! YOU WERE THE ONE TO KILL HER! ONLY WITH THE POWER OF THE GEMS WAS SHE ABLE TO BROUGHT BACK!"** Spyro screamed at Hiccup as he breathed a volley of fireballs at Hiccup. Toothless ran in front of him and spread his wing out, deflecting the shots. Cynder looked stunned by the second battle that was happening, but a part of her reflected on what Spyro had just said.

' _Does he remember what I said?'_ Cynder thought as the small skirmish raged on.

"Listen! I-," Hiccup tried to speak.

"Spyro, please!" Cynder tried to console the purple dragon, but he didn't listen. Toothless fired a plasma blast at Spyro, but he dodged the attack. Spyro shot a flame breath which knocked Toothless back into a nearby tree.

"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted as his dragon went flying backwards.

"Now, you will pay…" Spyro charged, claws extended towards Hiccup.

Hiccup watched as the dragon came at him at full speed. There was nothing he could do to stop it. Just before they collided, Hiccup threw his head in the air and screamed with all he had, "I KNOW AND I'M SORRY!" Hiccup's eyes were closed, expecting the sounds of impalement, but it never happened. Hiccup opened his eyes to see the dragon' claws just barely away from his chest.

Spyro was stunned, no one had shown this level of resentment like that before. His claws began to shake.

"Spyro…" Cynder's voice reached him as her paw gently put down his extended claws from the human.

"Your right… it is my fault I hurt her, it's all my fault," Hiccup fell to his knees, and did something he never expected to, he cried. Spyro watched as Hiccup cried, multiple emotions filling him. In a sudden move, he raised his claws above his head.

"SPYRO-!" Cynder tried to stop him. Hiccup watched as the claws coming down on him at high speeds and closed his eyes once agon bracing for the impending doom. Instead of pain, he felt something on his shoulder. He opened his eyes, squinting, to see a paw on his shoulder. He opened his curious eyes to see Spyro with his paw on his shoulder.

"..? what..? I-," Hiccup tried to speak again.

"I'm sorry, too. I acted out of anger and hatred towards you and your kind when you struck Cynder down. I… she's the only one that I trust. I'm sure that it was an accident on both of out parts that caused this mess in the first place," Spyro spoke with resentment. His eyes looked like they were about to cry, too. Spyro took the paw from Hiccup's shoulder and held it in front of Hiccup.

"Maybe, we should try to introduce ourselves without trying to kill each other. I will go first, my name is Spyro, and this is Cynder. Who are you?" Spyro introduced himself and Cynder.

Hiccup hesitated for a moment before he reached out his hand and shook the giant paw, "My name is Hiccup, and I lead the Dragonriders. Like I said before, I'm sorry that battle took place, there was some miscommunication between our team." They both dropped their arms to their sides.

"It's alright. How about we return to your domain, and discuss about our lives there? Besides, we owe you a favor for nearly destroying where you live," Spyro said with a gesture of good will.

"Sound good, and it's okay! We can survive, but any help is appreciated!" Hiccup smiled. The three walked to where Toothless crashed, where the massive Nightfury was stunned. Toothless got up from the impact sight and wobbled a little. He opened his eyes to see Hiccup standing with the two dragons next to him. Toothless immediately went on alert, darting pass Hiccup to separate his rider from the dragons. He readied his plasma blasts.

"TOOTHLESS, WAIT!" Hiccup shouted as he placed a hand in front of Toothless, causing him to disarm himself from hurting Hiccup. Toothless gave a confused roar.

"They're not our enemies, they are our friends," Hiccup gave a reassuring smile to Toothless. Toothless gave an unyielding glance for a moment, but from seeing how the dragons behind are reaction and the expression on Hiccup's face. Toothless got into a relaxed expression as stood down.

"Now that our hostilities are beside us, shall we get going to your home? We still owe you some help for destroying your homes," Spyro asked as he saw Hiccup mounting on Toothless.

"Yeah, but it might take some time for the others to accept you," Hiccup replied.

"As long as we can undo the damage we've caused, we can deal with the repercussions," Spyro said, smiling. Together, they took off back to the Edge, united. A team.

* * *

 _Near Barrage's Lair..._

Barrage was practicing with his newfound powers in a nearby training ground with the elements he couldn't master: fire and electricity. Developing new techniques as he attacked some training dummies, he launched fireballs and bolts of electricity. Impressed by his new abilities, he ended his training. He walked over to a bench and grabbed a towel to wipe his face. He heard running coming up nearby. He turned behind him to see Viper, standing behind him, out of breath.

"Ahh, Viper…" Barrage spoke in an evil way, he noticed that Viper didn't have anything with him; he frowned.

"M-Master, I-," Viper tried to speak, but noticed his master's new appearance, "M-M-Master? How are you a-?"

"Malefor has given me power beyond comprehension, as well as a new body… Now, if I may ask: did you get what I wanted?" Barrage inquiried. It was then Viper realized that he gave Vortex the crystals he wanted and didn't find anything about those dragons.

"U-U-U-U-Uhh… no," Viper stuttered. Barrage's face lit up in anger, causing Viper to shrink in fear.

"YOU DARE FAIL ME?" Barrage screamed in anger. Barrage lifted his hands as numerous ice sickles formed around him, all pointing to Viper, who then retreated back. Viper disappeared out of sight. Just as Barrage was about to hunt him down, Malefor's voice reached his mind.

 _ **"Leave him… he is of no threat to us,"**_ Malefor spoke.

"He could spill our plans to our enemies," Barrage retaliated.

 _ **"It wouldn't matter. Even if they were able to know our plans, they would be too late to stop us. Now, go to Mertazlok, find what we seek, and FREE ME!"**_ Malefor's voice roared in Barrage's mind, causing him to grip his head in pain. Barrage's eyes glowed red.

"Of course, master," Barrage spoke darkly, and disappeared into the winds.

* * *

 _On Dragon's Edge…_

"Alright, everyone! Listen up! Hiccup's gone out to find those dragons! If he comes back with those dragons, we need to be prepared!" Astrid commanded, as if she were the leader.

"Sure, we should. It was HIS mess with those dragons that got us in this mess in the first place… OW!" Snotlout gave a sarcastic reply while a doctor treated his burn wounds. All of a sudden, Astrid walked up to him, making Snotlout shrink in panic.

"His fault? HIS FAULT?! YOU- NO, YOU AND THE TWINS WERE THE ONES TO EVEN IGNITE THIS WHOLE THING IN THE FIRST PLACE! NOT TO MENTION ALL THE TIMES YOU NEARLY ENDANGERED OUR LIVES IN THE PAST, TOO! NOW, HICCUP IS TORN, AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Astrid screamed as she pressured Snotlout's chest with her pointer finger.

"A-Astrid, I know you're right but calm down!" Fishlegs protested in Snotlout's case. A hand rested on her shoulder. Angrily, she recoiled away and looked to see who did it, only to be slightly nervous. Stoick was standing there, giving her a concerned look.

"I know y'er tryin to make a point, but it might be best to calm down, las," Stoick calmly stated. Astrid looked at him for a few moments before relaxing.

"Sorry, I just…" Astrid looked down.

"I know, you were trying to help," Stoick gave a soft smile. Astrid looked up towards the team.

"We should check on our dragons," She stated. Everyone nodded and followed her out of the hall, several doctors helping Fishlegs and the Twins move. As they neared the field where their dragons were kept, Astrid ran to her dragon. All of them perked up to the sounds of Astrid running towards them, but were happy to see their Riders alive and well. After a nice reunion with their dragons, Astrid spoke up again and faced the other Riders.

"We have to be ready in case Hiccup returns and needs our help. We don't know what the future hold for us, so we must be prepared!" Astrid gave a short speech.

"Oh, but I do…" a new voice startled everyone and everything in field. Everyone turned to look behind themselves to see a hooded, broad shouldered figure standing behind her. Astrid rushed to Stormfly to grab her axe, then got into a defensive stance. Everyone else mounted on their dragons, as they prepared themselves for another possible enemy.

"Who are you?" She beckoned, showing her angered face once again.

"Just a messenger; one that must give you a warning. Do you wish to heed my warnings?" The figure replied calmly

"Tell is who you are first!" Astrid yelled, while her dragon was arming herself.

"I told you, I-," The figure tried to speak, but was cut off by a spine-shot that shot towards its head. It barely dodged the sudden attack, but the shot knocked off its hood. Everyone was stunned by the piece of metal that shot off the figure's head, but more so the identity of it. Standing there stunned, was a wolf like creature, wearing silver plated armor. His fur was grey, his eyes blue. He rubbed his face, and looked down at his hand. He balled his fist and looked up at Astrid and her dragon.

"Augh… you treat everyone you meet this way?" The wolf asked, a small amount of blood trickling down his forehead.

"Astrid!" Stoick yelled to the Viking, but she didn't listen.

"Just, what _are_ you?!" She screamed, her emotions flooding her.

"I told you! I'm here to deliver a message! I'm not here to harm you, I don't want to fight you!" The wolf tried to protest his innocence, waving his hands.

"I HAD ENOUGH OF PEOPLE'S LIES! STORMFLY, FIRE!" Astrid screeched as she pointed at the wolf. Stormfly hesitated, but did what she was told and fired a stream of fire at the wolf. The fire encompassed the wolf, nobody could see him through the fires. After a few seconds of Stormfly continuous fire, Astrid help her hand up to stop the dragon's breath. Smoke encompassed the area where the wolf stood. As it cleared, everyone saw the wolf with his right hand out, as if catching a ball with one hand. His expression was dark, and his hand was glowing a bright white. His armor… wasn't burned, nothing! That was impossible!

"I guess I really have to fight you, huh? Look I-," The wolf tried to speak, but was cut off from Astrid lunging at him with her axe. The wolf dodged the blows as he still tried to reason with the Viking.

"STOP MOCKING ME!" Astrid screamed as the wolf rapidly dodged her attacks.

"Then please calm down!" The wolf yelled as he ducked from an axe swing the nearly hit his face. She kicked the wolf in the leg platings, which caused him to grunt in pains as he fell on his back to the ground. In a swift motion, she put her foot on his chest plate and raised her axe high above her head.

"Astrid, stop!" Fishlegs voice caught her attention. Keeping her axe raised, she looked back towards her friends, who all wore faces of shock about what she was about to do. She glanced to the wolf below her foot, who had a scared expression written on his face. Slowly, she lowered her axe to her side and stepped off of the wolf, who recoiled and put a hand on his stomach area, gasping.

"I'm sorry," she muttered as she walked towards her friends. The wolf got up, rubbing his slightly bloodied head. He looked down at his bloody hand and winced.

"Nah, its fine. Happens all the time. Now, I need to give a message to your leader, are they here?" The wolf asked, looking at the crowd of Vikings and Dragons. They looked at each other before Astrid replied.

"He's busy doing something else at the moment, but Stoick here is the chieftain of Berk," Astrid growled as she pointed to the big Viking leader.

"Excellent, uhh… do you have anywhere we can talk?" The wolf asked. Stoick nodded and pointed towards the meeting hall. As they entered, the doctors inside became terrified by the sight of the wolf.

"It's alright, everyone!" Astrid spoke, but many of them screamed as they ran out of the room.

"Am I that scary?" the wolf asked as he witnessed the last of the medical staff running out the hall.

"At first, ye were. Now, what was the message you wished to tell us?" Stoick asked as he sat down on a stool. It gave off a small creek which made the wolf's ears twitch. Before he could answer, Snotlout interrupted everyone.

"Uhh, first off! Who and what the heck are you?!" Snotlout said. Everyone gave an annoyed glance, but turned their attention back to the wolf as he sat down on a chair.

"My name is Vortex, taskmaster to… a higher power. I was asked to find out about two dragons that had gone missing recently, and bring them back safely," the wolf, Vortex replied. Something clicked in Astrid's head.

"Wait… two dragons… you don't mean those two dragons with abilities beyond what we ever seen before, do you?" Astrid was starting to draw a connection.

"You mean a purple dragon and a black dragoness, right?" Vortex's ears perked up.

"Right," Astrid nodded. Vortex's face instantly lit up in excitement.

"Yeah, them! They recently went missing and I'm here to find them and bring them back to their realm!" Vortex stated. As soon as he said that, everyone had a blank stare on their faces.

"Uhh, their what?" Snotlout just gave up trying to comprehend this.

Vortex sighed, "okay, so basically to make this short. They are not from this world, and somehow made it to this realm. I know that sounds far fetched, but-".

"Wow, different realities…" Fishlegs spoke out loud as he visioned the possibilities, accidentally cutting off Vortex.

"Yeah… never mind this, what was the message you wanted to deliver?" Astrid wanted to get right to the point.

"Oh, right! Listen, like those dragons, an evil threat followed them through their realm into this one. One that is so dark, the world could be destroyed…" Vortex spoke. Everyone gasped.

"What could have the power to literally destroy the world? Certainly it isn't a dragon, is it?" Stoick pondered.

"Unfortunately, yes… it is a dragon. You see, there is a presence here. One filled to his core with darkness. His name… is Malefor."

"Who is he?" Astrid asked. Vortex sat in a chair and breathed in a deep breath.

"Whew… well that's a story… you see, in that realm, there was a legend. A purple dragon would be born once every 1000 generations. You may know him as Spyro, but actually, the first purple dragon was actually-".

"Malefor," Fishlegs interrupted Vortex.

"Yes! Now for the love of God, can people not try to cut me off from either attacking me or interrupting my sentences?!" Vortex cried in frustration, making Fishlegs shrink. He took a deep breath and continued, "anyway. Turns out, he was able to master **all** of the elements: fire, ice, earth, lighting, and create new ones. Each of the main elements has a dragon that had mastered in its ways and talents; they were called the Guardians. However, over time Malefor grew greedy with power, and he was exiled, but that lead to the discovery of another, darker element: Convexity. With it, Malefor was able to do unforeseen things, ones were everyone was afraid of. Malefor became corrupted and sought to wipe out the dragon race all together, but then there was the prophecy of the next purple dragon. With the knowledge of his existence, Malefor attempted to attack the temple which housed Spyro's egg. He failed in killing him, but… all the other eggs… weren't so lucky," everyone had a heavy burden on their hearts after hearing this, "there was one other survivor, Cynder. She was corrupted, placed under Malefor's diabolical schemes as the "Terror of the Skies" or something like that. Spyro managed to free her from the corruption, and well… you know the rest in that front."

"Can you speed this along a little?" Astrid wanted to get to the point.

"Sorry!" Vortex gave a nervous laugh, "in the end, a battle took place that shattered the planet. Spyro and Cynder managed to defeat Malefor, by using the powers of the ancient dragon spirits, however… the fire Guardian Ignitus… sacrificed himself for them to get to that point…" another heavyweight in the hearts hit the group, "the planet broke apart, but with the little power remaining within him. Spyro tapped into his powers one more time to pull the planet back together. Saving countless lives and generating new ones. However, they fell into something and became lost. And you know the rest. Word is, he isn't dead, and is controlling someone to bring him back so he can rule the world… or even worse, destroy it… If he's coming back, we need Spyro and Cynder to take on Malefor and his corrupted servant, or else..."

"Okay, this is a **lot** to take in," Fishlegs sat down as he tried to process this.

"Yeah, it would be better of Hiccup were around, then he might know what to do," Astrid chimed in.

"Say… about this 'Hiccup', is he a tall, male who wears brown leather coating and rides a Nightfury, right?" Vortex suddenly asked, looking outside.

"Uhh… yeah?" Astrid didn't know where he was going with this.

"Okay, based on what I just said… that's him over there, isn't it?" Vortex pointed outside. It didn't take long to see what he was talking about as three dragons had landed in the fields next to the meeting hall. Everyone looked out to see Hiccup, dismounting off of Toothless… and talking to the two dragons they fought against earlier...

* * *

Chapter 8 is down for the count!

I know I said I wanted to make chapters longer, but this one had to be pressed out there.

Share this with other people if you wish, if you don't... I... have nothing to retaliate...

 **PLEASE R &R! IT WILL HELP ME BECOME A BETTER WRITER! :D**

Also, tell me if this is a good chapter, I felt a little off about this one tbh...


	9. Chapter 9: Reconcile

Will our heroes finally be united under a single cause, or will they still be enemies? Find out…

Also, I'm went back and edited some of the previous chapter, just because I kept forgetting to add line breaks, lol. Man I really need to make a mental note of that...

* * *

"Hiccup!" Everyone yelled as they ran down towards him. Vortex followed too once he saw Spyro and Cynder there with Hiccup. As soon as he started down, a sudden feeling rushed him. He grunted and held his head in pain, that was definitely not from the spine's impact. His eyes flashed a soft white. Viper… he must've been chased out by his master… at least he's alive. Vortex shook off the feeling and walked down the ramps towards where the Dragonriders were meeting Hiccup.

As soon as everyone saw the purple and black dragons behind them, everyone, including the dragons around them immediately went on the defensive. However, all of them had a large look of fear presented on their faces. Hiccup saw this transpiring and rushed in between them to stop any attacks from carrying through.

"GUYS, WAIT! DON'T FIRE! THEY AREN'T OUR ENEMIES!" Hiccup yelled as he waved his hands. It took everyone a second to comprehend what he said, but seeing the dragons behind not attacking him slightly reassured them he was telling the truth.

"Well, that's good to hear," Astrid breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Indeed it is," Vortex said in agreement as he walked forward, startling everyone. Hiccup and Spyro could not belive what they were seiing, but Cynder watched as he came forward. That... that was him… the person in her dreams! Spyro then remember something that Cynder had said earlier and became confused, _'was this the being Cynder was talking about?'_ The two dragons then noticed Toothless was growling at the wolf.

"Now, we might have a chance against the upcoming darkness! So, Hiccup! Can I-?" Vortex tried to speak as he approached Hiccup, but was cut off by a ravenous growl from Toothless. All of a sudden, Toothless fired a plasma blast at the wolf.

"Toothless, no!" Hiccup tried to stop his dragon but it was too late. The shot had gone out, and there was nothing he could do about it. Everyone else ran to take cover as dast as they could. The wolf immediately took notice of the purple ball of plasma heading towards his chest. His eyes glowed white for a brief second. In a lightning fast reaction, he smacked the ball of plasma out of the air, causing it to fly off in a direction away from anything and towards the sea. It exploded in the distant air, lighting up the area in a purple aura before vanishing. Everyone looked at the wolf, who slowly let his arm fall to his side. He turned and faced Astrid, who had a large look of shock on his face. Toothless also looked stunned by the defense, as he had never seen anyone do that before.

' _If he had the power to do THAT… why didn't he try to fight back? Why..?'_ she thought as she looked at him. All of the sudden, he threw his arms up and pointed them at the Nightfury.

"DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN?! DO YOU SEE WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER?! I'M ALWAYS INTERRUPTED BY PEOPLE TRYING TO KILL ME, OR PEOPLE INTERRUPTING MY SENTENCES! IS IT SO DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE OR ANYTHING HAVE SOME MANNERS?!" Vortex yelled in frustration, still looking in Astrid's general area.

"Eheheheh…. Sorry about that," Hiccup gave a nervous laugh. He gave Toothless an angered stare for a moment, before turning back to the wolf, "it's just been a wild ride at the moment."

"You don't say," Vortex gave a sarcastic remark while rolling his eyes. Getting serious, he approached Spyro and Cynder. "Hello Spyro, Cynder. Glad we finally get to meet in person."

"You… you were the person in my dream!" Cynder pointed at him with a claw.

"Yes, and I have much to discuss with you both," Vortex gave a small respectable bow to the two dragons.

"I have a question! How do you have the ability to use more than one ability?" Fishlegs' eyes lit up in curiosity. Vortex instantly turned and looked at him as if he were about to kill him, grumbling while glaring at him with a triggered look.

"Well, I'm a purple dragon, meaning I have a unique ability to tap and use all the elements. However, I was taught not only to breath it out like a breath, but to manifest it with my body and power," Spyro stated as he demonstrated. He held his right paw in the air. Instantly, a small, yet surprisingly comforting flame appeared in his hands. He kept it there for a few moments before it dissipated.

"Interesting," Fishlegs muttered as jotted everything he wrote everything down in a notepad. He looked back up pointed the pencil at them, "can you tell me more of these elements and the Guardians, if I'm not mistaken, that used them?" Spyro and Cynder looked shocked after he said this.

"How… how do you know about them?" Spyro asked.

"I told them, they deserved to know," Vortex stepped forward.

"He also told us about Ignitus. Spyro, were sorry to hear about losing your mentor," Fishlegs tried to comfort the dragon.

"Thanks… anyway, there were four Guardians that had a unique connection with one of the elements. You already know Ignitus, he was the Guardian of Fire. He was like a father figure to me," Spyro said in a sad tone. Astrid noticed that Vortex looked away from Spyro, as if he knew something, but Spyro continued before she could get anything out of him, "Volteer was the Guardian of lightning. He may have… talked a lot, but he knew a lot."

Vortex chimed in, "Then there's Cyril, the Ice Guardian. He may have been chill," he turned away and giggled something about "chill" before he turned back to the Vikings, "he was a wise dragon, very likable! And lastly, there was-." Before he finished, Viper suddenly appeared next to Vortex, scaring everyone but him. Toothless then instinctively fired another shot at the dragon.

"Toothless, not again!" Hiccup failed to stop Toothless from firing again. Viper saw the purple ball coming at his face and braced for impact. Vortex saw it coming and darted in front of Viper at immense speeds. He quickly reached his arm out, his hand and right eye glowing white. Just before impact, the purple ball of plasma was engulfed in a translucent aura, and halted in the air. It was slightly shaking, as his arm was struggling to keep it steady; his head was sweating from the force of the shot.

"Really? We're gonna do this song and dance again?," he turned away and muttered, "man this kinda thing is really starting to get old," before looking back.

"How… can you..?" Snotlout just couldn't understand how he could do that.

"My mentors have taught me ways to use magic as a means for defense, but also offense as well," he said as he threw the ball of plasma in the distance again and watched it explode not to far away. He turned and faced Viper, "hey, Viper. Got chased out, huh?"

' _Magic? Magic doesn't exist… it's impossible… then again, I'm right next to two talking dragons that can annihilate us into ashes and another that follows a social hierarchy, so impossible is a bit of an understatement…'_ Hiccup thought as he looked at Viper.

Viper nodded, "y-yes, but the situation… it's much worse than we anticipated."

"How so?" Vortex raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you know how I said my master was like me? He… HE TURNED MORE LIKE A HUMAN!" Viper broke down. Everyone gasped, Vortex took a step back in surprise, then looked down in a deep thought.

"How can he do that?" Vortex muttered. He looked away, as if looking at someone everyone else couldn't see. Everyone else became confused as he continued talking to someone, or no one? "You sure? Alright…" he muttered, before looking back to Spyro and Cynder.

"Spyro, you remember the Chronicler, don't you?" Vortex asked. Spyro's face lit up.

"Yeah! I remember him! Why, did something happen?" Spyro started to get worried.

"No… but he is the one that brought me here to go find you both and bring you out of this realm you were accidently brought to," Vortex spoke.

"I see," Spyro put a paw under his chin

"Unfortunately," Vortex continued, as if reading his mind, "it appears that Malefor was also inadvertently brought here, too."

"WHAT?! HOW?!" Both Spyro and Cynder screamed in unison.

"He is not alive, yet… but a spirit possessing a dragon named Barrage, to bring him back to life," Vortex turned to Viper, "did you find anything that could be of any help whatsoever?"

"The only thing I heard was that Barrage was about to go back to Mertazlok. It's the home where my kind originated from, and home to an organization called the "Orders of Dracoda". They are an organization built to defend the land and its inhabitants by the uses of the elements. However, Barrage and anyone else who followed him in his footsteps of the use of forbidden magics were banished. I was banished when I was a baby dragon, so I don't remember much. I do know he said he needed something from there, but I'm not sure what."

"Do you know where it is?" Vortex asked, but the dragon shook his head.

Vortex looked into the ocean, "I have a feeling it's for something devastating…" Everyone stood in silence while Vortex held a pose, before Snotlout spoke up.

"Okay, but are we STILL not gonna talk about how he did that? Also, the remaining guardian or whatever?"

"Right! Terrador, the Earth Guardian, was wise to call the shots. He knew when to fight and how to fight; he truly was brave. I'm not sure of there even WAS a Wind or any other Guardian in the past, who knows," Vortex shrugged.

"So… what exactly are we up against, and how can we defeat it?" Astrid asked.

"Malefor isn't any ordinary dragon. Sure, he may be like Spyro… in a way… but he possesses an ability far beyond the boundaries of what you know. He possesses an element he discovered long ago, one deemed unsafe: Convexity, Nether, whatever you call it. It's bad, really bad; here, let me add some context of it," Vortex gave a brief rundown of Malefor and his connections and powers over Convexity, "...only Spyro and Cynder have a chance of stopping that kinda level."

"Not just them, but us as well. We know how to fight, and we will do whatever we can to help you fight against Malefor," Hiccup looked directly at Spyro, "I know we had our differences in the past, and we kinda already mended it, but here's our chance to redeem ourselves for our mistakes." Hiccup lifted his right arm towards spyro, extending his hand. Spyro slowly lifted his paw up towards the gesture. He hesitated for a moment, before smirking.

"Your right. We need all the help we can get and with that. We thank you," he grasped Hiccup's hand, forming a powerful bond between the once separate two teams into a unified arrangement of heroes... and a handshake.

"Well, now with that out of the way," Vortex clapped his hands as the two broke their grip, "let us prepare for the times ahead, shall we?"

* * *

This chapter's length was shortened so it could buildup the scenes in the next chapter. It is possible the next chapter may be similar in size to this one.

 **R &R, OR I… I… have nothing… umm… Can you please R&R? KTHXBYE. **


	10. Chapter 10: Old Wounds can Still Bleed

The last chapter, Reunited, IMO was off. I felt like I could've done better with it. At first, the plan was to make that and this chapter one, but the titles screwed me over, lol.

Plus, I took a look at the word list… yeah, wouldn't fit together lol.

It's now time for the storm to strike.

* * *

 _ **A flashback to Mertazlok in the past…**_

 _Within the great halls of an underground courtroom, 5 young dragons sat in the seats of the Council. Each one held their faces held a look of solemn as the case was about to unfold. Just then, the large oak doors leading to the world outside opened. An armed force was escorting a young red-orange dragon to the front of the room. Many dragons around them whispered as the dragon took a seat up in the front row. A look of fear was present on his face, yet behind what no one could see was a lace of anger, hatred, disgust. As soon as everyone and everything was accounted for, an red dragon in the middle slammed a flaming gravil on the podiums, causing everything to grow still around them._

 _"Order, order!" The red dragon proclaimed. A green dragon closest left of him rose from his seat._

 _"Barrage, protege and son of Former High Commander, Lukarek. You have been charged with practicing and manipulating in the arts of forbidden and dangerous magics. How do you plead?" The green dragon asked._

 _A young Barrage stood up, "Innocent, Masters. I did not mean nor wish to bring harm upon our land! I was trying to increase my power for the greater good!"_

 _"Seeking of power can lead to corruption, young one. With what you have done, we fear you may be corrupted already," a yellow dragon on the furthest right seat spoke as he got up._

 _"But I feel fine! There's nothing wrong with me!," Barrage tried to protest._

 _"Maybe not now, but possibly in the future," the yellow dragon replied calmly._

 _"Yes…" the crimson dragon turned back to Barrage, "not only have you managed to gain the knowledge about these dark spells, but have also shown, and in some cases taught it to other dragons."_

 _"They should know how powerful they can really become! They deserve to know the truth!" Barrage began to hold a dark glare. The jury noticed his sudden change and noted it._

 _"Tell me, Barrage, what was your purpose into doing this?" A cyan dragon asked._

 _"To become more powerful. To show everyone that I'm not some weak dragon that barely makes a difference," Barrage spoke in a dark tone._

 _"Greed leads to the destruction of the mind, and it looks like it has already destroyed yours," the yellow dragon said._

 _"It pains me to do this… Barrage, son of Lukarek. You and all those who have followed you are hereby banished from Mertazlok, and the Orders of Dracoda!" The crimson dragon slammed the gravel down onto the podium, generating a loud bang that shook the room._

 _"What?! You can't! YOU CAN'T!" Barrage attempted to struggle, but was restrained by the guards._

 _"You and all your followers will either leave tomorrow morning, or die. We are so sorry, but you placed us in a difficult position… we had no choice," the crimson dragon. And with that, Barrage was dragged out of the court, leaving the 5 council members watching with a look of solemn as he still struggled._

 _ **Later that night, within Barrage's home…**_

 _Barrage was saddened, his eyes were watery as he packed his favorite items in travel bags. Old relics, spells, all he would need. He looked and picked up an amulet. It was golden, with a small dragon, wings out, dangling. His parents gave that to him, a symbol that he will do great things on the future, and now look at him; oh, were they wrong. He let a few tears out as he placed it in a bag. He then took all of his titles and badges he had received over his life to become a warrior of the Orders. He heard footsteps that abruptly stopped near him. Slowly, he turned to face who was there, only to see his parents standing at the door frame. They each had a look of disappointment, but his father… he had on him the most angered look._

 _"Barrage," his father said coldly. A shiver went up Barrage's back._

 _"D-Dad, I-," Barrage tried to speak through his tear-choked voice. Suddenly, a lightning fast punch was delivered to his chest. He gasped as he fell onto the floor, holding his chest in pain as he struggled to get a breath in. He looked up, only to see his father throw another punch, and another. He repeatedly attacked Barrage, who desprietly cried out for him to stop. By the end of a minute, Barrage's wounds covered his body. He looked up to his father, who didn't have one look of remorse on his face._

 _"...f…...father…... I…" Barrage tried to speak._

 _"After what you've done… your not my son anymore," that statement hurt Barrage way more than his attacks._

 _"F-Father?" Barrage tried to reach out, but his father walked away._

 _"Don't call me that again, you disgrace. You mean nothing to me," Lukarek spoke darkly._

 _"LUKAREK!" Barrage screamed, but he was gone. His mother hung her head in sadness, tears falling on the ground next to him._

 _"Mother…. Please," Barrage tried to coax his mom to stay, but instead, she slowly turned and walked away._

 _"Mom? MOM, PLEASE COME BACK! …. Come…. Back…" Barrage cried out for them… but nobody came. Barrage laid on his bed, the good in him muttering "I deserved this" and cried until he fell asleep. However, he was not aware of the dark presence that filled his heart in his sleep._

 _ **Morning of the next day (ehh… lets lowball it to about 10:00 for clarity)...**_

 _A large oak ship was harbored at a doc. Barrage could see dozens of dragons onboard the ship, some young, some old. All of them attempted to follow him in his works with Convexity… all of them… removed from their homes… the sight was unbearable._

 _The Council, his parents… everyone was there, all lined up to form a walkway towards his ship. Obviously, his parents, closest friends that didn't attempt trying to use Convexity, and the Council stood at the end of the line. Barrage had on his ceremonial uniform on, but made up his mind to remove it once he got onboard. It was outfitted with medals for his past services, that didn't help the situation one bit. The guards behind him dropped the restraints. He looked back at them, to which they pointed forward. Not making any replies, he faced forward and walked towards the ship. Everyone had a glare on their faces as he moved passed them. Several were his friends, people he cared for… it hurt him greatly… As he got to the end of the line, the guards at the end made him stop and face the crimson dragon from the previous day's trials. He was holding a notepad. Barrage then noticed the yellow dragon holding a small container, probably for holding all of his ceremonial medals._

 _"Barrage. You have committed crimes beyond reckoning. Henceforth, you and your supporters are hereby banished from Mertazlok, forever," the crimson dragon looked back to the yellow dragon and nodded to him. The dragon nodded back and approached Barrage. He yanked all the medals off of the cloth, ripping part of it. Barrage had no reaction to anything that happened around him. The yellow dragon noticed this and backed off once he had collected everything._

 _"Barrage, you will lose everything you once claimed to the Council. Your ranks from everything will be stripped from you, including your ties with your family, and you will be now known as a traitor. From this day forward, if you or your supporters make any attempt to return… you will surely perish," the crimson dragon slammed the notepad as he said his final sentence, indicating that his banishment has been initiated._

 _"Any final words you like to say?" The yellow dragon asked from behind the red council member. Barrage looked back at everyone, but did not even open his snout._

 _"Silence is probably the wisest action on your part," the crimson dragon spoke. Barrage looked to the ship and boarded it. As everyone got situated, several wind dragons approached the rear of the boat and raised their hands. The winds began to pick up, and the waters rose. Soon the ship began to drift, as the wind dragons slowly pushed it along with their powers. The boat began to float away from the shores of Mertazlok. All those aboard watched as the island began to grow smaller and smaller out of view, until there was nothing in view but the ocean. Several cried while others held in their tears. Barrage looked forward, and pulled out a map. An ice dragon walked up next to him._

 _"Where do we go?" He asked Barrage._

 _Barrage looked away from the map to face the young dragon, then pointed to an island._

 _"We will settle here for the time being," he said as he made some markings on the map._

 _"B-But that's so far away!" The ice dragon spoke._

 _"It's better to be further away, just in case if they try to hunt us, Jarvok," Barrage said plainly. The ice dragon, Jarvok, didn't speak for a moment before slowly nodding. Barrage looked back towards the navigators of the boat._

 _"Turn the boat twelve degrees to the left, our next landing will be up ahead," Barrage commanded as he felt a scar on his head._

* * *

That same memory drifted in his head as he felt the scar. That very scar he touched as he left Mertazlok, and now he was going back to claim revenge on all they had done to him. Barrage chuckled darkly as he exited his tent, and walked to the docks to see several Dragonhunters finishing the last of maintenance checks. It was a dark, cold night; Barrage was quite impressed at how they were able to work in this environment. He approached a Dragonhunter standing on the dock.

"Is it ready?" Barrage asked. The Dragonhunter began to sweat nervously.

"Y-Yes, it's ready to go, sir!" He said, trying to be pleasing.

"Good. Have a scouting team prepare to go to this island at dawn," He pulled out a map and pointed to an island. The Dragonhunter looked at it and began to shake.

"T-There, sir?! B-B-B-But _they_ might see us!" He exclaimed, his terrified voice croaked in the night. The other Dragonhunters exited off the ship and left the docks.

"Then don't be seen. Tell them to return to be me by dusk of the next day, or else..." Barrage spoke coldly as he got aboard the old ship and sailed away towards his destination. His eyes glowed bright with hatred as he progressed into the night.

* * *

 _Mertazlok… in the present…_

The island of Mertazlok is a place of pure beauty. Villages, cities, and temples were vibrant. While several of the residences were warriors, many were peaceful and embraced the passions of life around them. They used their powers of the elements for the good of others. Even though they were secluded, lost to history, it's hard to miss such a lively place. The Orders of Dracoda recently devoted themselves to protect the island rather than a university for the dragons to learn. The Council members still hold the line of democracy and peace. Upon the beaches of the shores, many small outposts were stationed to keep watch for intruders and to protect the nearby villages. There with a watchtower, a young, dark green dragon was leaning back on a chair. He was extremely bored from watching the stupid ocean, but at least it paid well. Just as he was about to fall asleep, a voice startled him wide awake.

"Damian, how many times must I tell you to be alert!" The rough voice yelled. Damian looked up to see his commander standing over him with an angered expression. Well, a normal expression for him, anyway. He was a tall, dark orange dragon, with eyes that of a naturally born leader.

"AHH! Sorry, sir!" Damian scrambled to get upright on his chair, but ended up falling over. The dark orange dragon held a glare.

"If you don't work at becoming attentive to your job, I will throw you out of the Order! myself! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?" He threatened.

"S-Sorry, Commander Magnus!" Damian saluted, but dropped it when Magnus grabbed the back of his neck.

"Next time I find you sleeping at your station again, I will-!" it was then Commander Magnus noticed he wasn't paying attention.

"PRIVATE!" He yelled to get his attention.

"U-Uhh sir..?" Damian noticed something off in the distance.

"WHAT?!" Commander Magnus bellowed and look at the direction where he was looking, then raised a scaly eyebrow. They both stared curiously at the sight of a ship slowly coming towards the shores. From the light of the sun coming up, they could see it had the banner of the previous logo of the Orders of Dracoda. They continued to stare as it slowly drifted closer. All of a sudden, a childhood memory flooded in his head. The memory of a banished warrior…

"No…" Magnus muttered as he glided to the surface below, still looking at the ship.

Damian poked his head out of the tower, confused, "uhh, sir? Is everything-."

"Send the signal for reinforcements, NOW!" Magnus yelled back, but not turning.

"Sir?" Damian rose a scaly eyebrow.

"NOW!" Magnus screamed. Damian jumped from the sound and cupped a hand around his snout. He fired a small fire bolt into the sky. It went up into the air a few more seconds before exploding into a massive firework like explosion. Everyone in nearby villages who saw the signal immediately hid in their homes, while more soldiers began to run towards the signal's origin.

When the boat finally reached the shore, many soldiers began to crowd around it, but they did not press on into the water. Everything was still for a few moments, Damian began to wonder if this was just an old boat washed up from long ago. Suddenly, a hooded figure vaulted over the side of the boat and landed in the sand before them. All the soldiers began to arm themselves for a possible conflict. The hooded figure stood upright, placing himself barely higher than all of them. An arm began to reveal itself from the cloak. It was a dark red-orange color with scales, showing it was one of them. Commander Magnus instantly recognized the scale hue and got into a defensive stance.

"Barrage!" He called to the hooded figure. Everyone around him began to murmur after he said the name.

There was a small pause, before, "...so… I'm still remembered here…" the hooded figure spoke in a dark tone that sent shivers up everyone's but Magnus' spine. He gave a small, dark chuckle.

"How could we forget all you've done?!" Magnus said sternly. Barrage made no reply, but still stood there.

"Got anything to say for yourself before he haul your sorry butt to jail for intruding?" Magnus smirked. Maybe with his capture, he might get a promotion.

"Tell me… since I'm remembered by most, what do they say about me?" Barrage asked, though it felt more of a statement rather than a question.

"We called you a warlock, a traitor to your own kinds' beliefs and ideals!" Magnus said, trying to imply that he became a vermine to them.

"Now… in those textbooks… do people still fear all of what I've done? Do they call me a dark sorcerer?" Barrage inquired.

"Yes, why?" Magnus didn't see the point of that question. All of a sudden, Barrage threw off his hood to reveal himself to the dragonese around him. All gasping at his new stature.

 _MUSIC Requiem for a dream (rock version) [movie theme] by Msmd_ _plays..._

"Good," Barrage smirked. He raised his palms up and fired a beam of darkness from each hand at the group of soldiers. Several moved out of the way in time, but many were hit by the beam of pure darkness as it tore right through them and killed them instantly. Magnus' eyes widened as Barrage straightened himself up.

' _THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT! HOW DOES HE HAVE THIS MUCH POWER?! EVEN WITH WHAT HE'S DONE AND STUDIED, THERE'S NO WAY THOSE SPELLS HAVE THAT MUCH POWER, DO THEY?'_ His mind screamed as he ducked from another beam of pure darkness. Several fire dragons ran at him, firing fireballs from their hands and snouts. Barrage walked through them as if they were nothing. Their eyes immediately widened as shards of ice appeared below them, impaling them and killing them on the spot. Others attempted the same but had no effect, and ended the same like the fire dragons.

Magnus formed a short sword of fire in his paws and looked back towards Damian, who was trying to dodge icicles from killing him, "GO BACK AND WARN THE COUNCIL! I'LL HOLD OFF BARRAGE!"

"Yes, run away and tell your 'precious Council' and tell them I'm coming for them!" Barrage laughed evilly.

"B-But! You can't win!" Damian screamed, tears flowing in his eyes. Magnus didn't move an inch.

"I know," Magnus spoke surprisingly calm voice as he readied his blade. Damian slowly walked away, then turned around and darted for the main city. He began to use his wings to carry him faster, tears flowing in his eyes. As he skidded to a halt on the borders of the city, he used his fire abilities to signal the invasion signal. Everyone ran for their homes as soldiers ran up to him.

"What's going on?" the soldiers asked him.

"B…. Barrage! He's back! I… have to… warn the Council! Keep him from reaching the Council!" Damian screamed as he ran by them. They began to charge towards the scene as Damian ran towards the Town Hall. He continued moving through crowds of people seeking shelter. As he ascended the steps, the large oak doors came into view. With all his strength, he burst through the doors. All of the Council members were started by his entry. The ground beneath them shook violently around them.

"COUNCIL! BARRAGE HAS RETURNED AND IS DESTROYING EVERYTHING!"

* * *

 _Time travel back to Barrage and Magnus…_

"I know," Magnus said in a surprisingly calm voice. Barrage watched as Damian began to walk away, as of in denial, then run away from them. Barrage smirked as he formed a sword from pure darkness. A black essence emitted from it, Magnus swore he could hear screaming from the fallen in his ears. Barrage charged as he raised his blade high above his head. Magnus countered it by blocking the dark blade with his own. The two collided in an epic sword struggle, a light illuminated the area around them.

"How… are you this-?"

"Powerful? The power of Convexity allows me to do things beyond your comprehension!" Barrage exclaimed as he let go of the sword with one hand and brought out his dragon claws. He sliced Magnus in the stomach with the claws, causing him to cry out in pain as he knelt down.

"You could join me, you know. You could be my right hand. Together, we could plague this land into darkness! What do ya say?" Barrage put the sword at his side while speaking. He noticed Magnus gripped his sword tighter, he sighed.

"I… will never… side… WITH YOU!" Magnus screamed as he he came at Barrage, sword like a spear, at full speeds. Barrage closed his eyes, but still could sense where he was and how fast he was going. Just before Magnus' blade reached his stomach, Barrage dodged and appeared behind him at lightning fast speeds. Before Magnus had anytime to react, Barrage thrusted his sword into Magnus's back. The blade of darkness pierced his chest and was sticking through the other side. Magnus gasped as the blade went through his chest, as he tried to control his breathing. Barrage retracted his blade, and Magnus fell onto the ground, struggling to breath. He walked over to the dragon on the ground, and held his palm out. A small black orb glowed off his palm. Magnus barely opened his eyes to see the orb.

"And to think, we could've resolved this conflict with a handshake," Barrage spoke softly as he fired the orb, ending Commander Magnus. Several soldiers came up and noticed their dead commander, only to grow even more angered. They tried to fight, but in the end, suffered the same fate as Magnus. Barrage made his way towards the city, his target: the Town Hall.

 _MUSIC ends!_

As he walked through the city, fired began to erupt around him. Building were burning and homes were destroyed. Many civilians were out in the open, but he didn't care for them. He got to the Town Hall doors. The memory burning deep within him, as it filled his hatred even more. In a fit of pure rage, he fired a large orb of darkness that blew open and destroyed the door. Inside he saw people he wasn't surprised to see. That dragon Damian, some civilians, but most importantly. Those Councilmen that banished him long ago. They were much older from their younger counterparts he remembered, but were still alive. He smiled as he entered the room.

"Hey! It's me! Barrage! Remember me?" He said, as if he was maddened.

"W-What do you want from us?" the crimson dragon asked, trying back away.

"Well, first I wanted to enact revenge in you all for banishing me. Second, I'm hunting something that your hiding," Barrage said, rage began to course through his veins.

"How are you-?"

"More like a human? Simple: Convexity, silly!" Barrage smiled evilly, "but I don't have the time to answer your questions, so you will die… NOW!" Barrage screamed as he fired small beams of darkness into the hearts of the Council members, all falling down instantly as they penetrated their scales. Damian was scared beyond imagining as Barrage approached him and smiled. There was no point in trying to even stand up to this guy if he had THIS level of power!

"CONGRATULATIONS! You get to live and to be my messenger! Here's what you gotta say!" He spoke similar to an excited game show host at first, then all the sudden turned dark, " **ANYONE WHO DARES TRY AND FIGHT ME, WILL PERISH!"** Barrage punched Damian in the snout, and knocked him out. He looked behind the podiums, and fired a dark blast that shattered the wall behind them. Instantly, a safe was revealed from the blown wall. Barrage used his dark sword to cut the safe open in one slice. He moved the door out of his way and threw it aside. Barrage looked inside its contents, and smiled wickedly. Inside the safe were a bunch of old scrolls, a journal, and some other useful items; however, the one thing that truly caught his eye was a dark purple crystal that pulsated with dark energy. Smiling, he took everything from the safe.

 ** _"Well done, Barrage! You sought your revenge, and have found what we needed!"_** Malefor applauded. Barrage, using his dark teleportation abilities to return to his tent, took all of the items and set them down nearby his workbench.

"They deserved every part of that," Barrage spoke coldly as he leaned on the workbench.

 _ **"Indeed they did! Now! Take several of those crystals from the impact site and place them next to the purple one,"**_ Malefor instructed, as Barrage got off the workbench and placed the items on the floor.

"What next, master?" Barrage asked the voice in his head.

 _ **"Read over those scrolls that you brought back and read out what they say. You will find out what will happen once it is completed,"**_ Malefor said. Barrage took one of the scrolls, and opened it. He cleared his throat and began to read what it said. All the words were VERY ancient dragoniese. As he spoke the words, the area around them grew black, and darkness shrouded everything. Barrage noticed, but continued reading everything. The crystals emitted a dark purplish-black glow. Barrage shielded his eyes with his wings, but still kept going. As he got to the end of the lines, he felt the darkness inside grow even more powerful.

"...optahs FROMACES!" He screamed, and with that, an explosion took over the room. Everything was clouded on smoke, sending Barrage into a heavy coughing spree. Using the power of the wind element, he flushed the smoke clouds out of the tent. He noticed a dark aura below him, as the crystals had mended together into one giant rock.

"They… mended together into one large fragment," Barrage said in astonishment.

 _ **"What you are holding, is the embodiment of the barrier that separates me from this damned world and yours…"**_ before Barrage could react, Malefor had more to say, **_"ONLY, a certain magma from a volcano on the Day of the Solstice can break the seal and set me free."_**

"The Day of the Solstice? That's only a couple days away from now. Alright, now, do you know which island has a suitable magma chamber for you to return?" Barrage asked while putting the crystal away for safekeeping.

There was a long pause before Malefor's voice returned, **_"yes, but you won't like it."_**

"Amuse me," Barrage said sarcastically.

 _ **"Where did you send those scouts earlier?"**_ Malefor asked a seemingly random question, but before Barrage could speak, the point got across his mind.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me… Dragon's Edge!"

* * *

WOW! Two chapters in less than a week? I'm just too good. Maybe I should retire… nah, who's gonna continue making this awesome series besides me while I'm gone? I'm just kidding, guys! I can't end my proud series that I have built up from the ground! I'm also kinda surprised how long the chapter was and the amount of time it took to make with said length. Granted, 4000+ words isn't much, but I barely go over that! That says a lot!

But in all seriousness, I'm glad I got this chapter out here now rather than later. I've been busy with other stuff, it's hard to make the time necessary to produce these chapters.

So yeah, R&R! I love to hear some feedback, y'know! :D


	11. Chapter 11: More Mysteries

IMO, last chapter was amazing for me to write. It was certainly a lot of fun trying to place the building blocks together for the fights! Also, tell me how I did with it! I WANT TO HEAR OPINIONS, Y'ALL!

:D

* * *

 _Near the Edge, one and a half hours after the Battle of Mertazlok…_

Four Dragonhunters were on the deck of the boat, as they held their scopes onto the small settlement. The one in charge, Viskor, removed the scope from his eyes. He didn't know what he was suppose to do. Scout? Minimal engagement? Well, there was nothing suspicious going on at the moment. All of a sudden, Barrage appeared right next to him, a dark aura around him. EVeryone jumped, but didn't make a sound.

"B-B-B-B-Barrage!" Viskor scrambled to get back into a attentive stance.

"Anything?" Barrage spoke darkly.

"W-Well, no," Viskor said nervously and truthfully. Barrage reached behind his back and handed him a small, packaged piece of paper.

"Change of plans. Find anything relevant of this for me, and bring it to my work-space by the dawn in 2 days. Place it on the table if I'm not there," Barrage instructed as he disappeared. Viskor opened the paper and read its contents, only to shake in absolute fear. The words on the page described about a monstrous beast that can control all dragons…

* * *

 _Mertazlok, 2 ½ hours after the battle…_

Damian groaned as he opened his eyes. He winced as his head and body began to ache in pain. Slowly, he sat up and rubbed his head, only to see the room around him. Everything was ablaze, as fires were rampant around. He noticed that his uniform was burned, and a small flame was on his leggings. Quickly patting out the fire, he stood up and looked around for anyone else that needed help. As a fire elemental, he was immune to the effects of smoke, fire, and other dangerous chemicals around that area; only a certain amount of magma exposure could hurt him. Damian saw several charred bodies lying around him, bodies of the Council and some civilians. He ran up to all of them, but not to his surprise, they were dead. He shook his head sadly, and walked out of the hall, tears in his eyes but they evaporated instantly. He descended down the steps and saw the city around him was just as destroyed as the hall. Either the buildings were completely gone or ablaze. He looked down the street and noticed there weren't as many fires on the southern side of the island. _'Maybe that's a good location to regroup and reorganize,'_ He thought to himself as he walked down the steps. He saw several soldiers, who looked panicked from everything around them. Damian walked up to them. They noticed him coming down the steps and ran up to him.

"Damian! At least Magnus' second hand is still alive! What do we do!" Before Damian could answer, two more soldiers came up, carrying a small transportation bed.

"Damian, we found him lying on the fields from where Barrage arrived. I'm so sorry," the dragon in front of the bed spoke as they set the bed down on the ground. Damian looked at who they were transporting and has horrified. Lying dead on the bed was Commander Magnus. His face was charred from a burn, he had a hole in his chest, and numerous scratch marks on his body. Damian fell to his knees as he looked at him.

"Damian? What do we do? None of us are leaders and you served under him longer than any of us," a dragon behind him spoke. Damian didn't move, as the sounds of the fires roamed around them. Slowly, he stood and faced the dragons that were present. He began to plan something.

"Who among you are fire dragons?" He asked. Two hands in the back rose, as the crowd parted ways to reveal the two dragons raising their hands. He continued, "you two… go into the Town Hall, and bring the bodies of the Council any anyone else out of there." Everyone gasped when they heard about the death of the Council.

"Any ice and wind dragons need to help put out the flames around us. Everyone else needs to go assist any civilians in need and bring them to the southern section of the island," Damian commanded, all the earth and lightning dragons began to run through the burning city, but before any of the wind, fire, and ice dragons to move, he stopped them.

"Wait!" They halted and looked back at him, "once you remove the bodies, take them and Magnus to the temple. They deserve the highest burials." They nodded and all ran into the Town Hall. An earth dragon approached him.

"What will you do, sir?" He asked.

"Me? I will try and find some assistance from anyone nearby. Maybe they will be able help us," Damian looked towards the ocean, then back at the dragon, "well, what are you standing there for? You have a job to do, get to it!" The dragon saluted and ran off, while he made a run for a dock. He had to find help, he had to! He ran through the streets, then into the forests. He knew where a port was, but the main concern was if Barrage hindered their transportation methods. His heart was pounding in his chest as he pressed on. Everyone counted on him to succeed! For all! For the Council! For Magnus…

From the sight behind some trees ahead, he saw the poles of wood in the ground. His face lightened when he saw the port still intact, with two ships docked. One was a massive transportation boat with many dragons boarding it, while the other was a small scout ship. He ran over to the dragons attempting to board the ship. A dragon noticed him running towards them and faced him.

"Sir! What do we do? Everyone wants to leave the island, but we know the rules. So we're at a crossroads," the dragon told him.

"Have everyone board this ship and take them to the southern ports, avoid the city. I need to use this boat! Sorry! Emergency Military Override!" Damian shouted as he hopped aboard the smaller ship.

"Where are you going?" That dragon yelled out to him. The boat rose in the waters.

"To find help!" Damian yelled back. Before the other dragon could say anything, Damian used his fire ability to launch a massive blast of fire from his paws. The force of the fire began to propel the boat away at a high speed. As the boat drifted away from the island, Damian looked forward towards the vast ocean in front of him, _'I just hope I can make it back in time…'_

* * *

 _Dragon's Edge, 8 hours after the battle of Mertazlok…_

"...so the only thing we know about Malefor's return, is that he needs Barrage and the Solstice. What's so significant about the Solstice? I know that the sun is a lot higher than it usually is and sometimes the skies are a lot darker, but what else is there?" Hiccup asked. Everyone shrugged.

"Well, it's in a couple of days. That means we have some time to make a plan and stop this madness from unfolding!" Viper tried to show some confidence in the team. The others nodded and agreed to what he said, but Vortex stood there with a serious expression on his face. _'There has to be something that connects with the Solstice and Malefor, but what?'_ An idea struck his head. When everyone wasn't paying attention, he slipped out of the door and snapped his fingers. Everyone heard that snap and looked back, but Vortex was gone! Everyone looked around for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Where did he go?" Astrid asked.

"Probably gone off to use the bathroom or something," Snotlout spoke from behind them. Everyone looked at him as if he punched a child, but after a second of consideration, looked at each other and nodded at the possible reason.

* * *

 _Vortex's PoV_

I hated to do that to them. They had just earned my trust and vise versa, but there was an easy way to figure out what's going on and I had to take it. I reappeared within the halls of the Chronicler. The room was a small circle, with a blue lantern or something like that glowing, illuminating the room around. The scenery in here was beautiful, but I shook out that thought in my head as I looked around. When I saw the person I was looking for, I smiled. There reading several books was Ignitus, the Chronicler. I walked up to him. His head perked up and turned to face me.

"Vortex, I did not think you would return at this time. Is there something wrong?" He inquired as I walked up to him.

"Besides the impending doom that is upon this realm if we don't stop it, not much. Anyway, we have a little time, so we need to be prepared for the battle ahead. Do you have anything about this upcoming Solstice?" I asked as I read some of the books.

"Yes, and I'm afraid you may not like it," he informed me. I stood there for a moment before my eyes narrowed.

"Indulge me," I said as he passed a floating book to me. It was a very thick book, with the title reading Day of the Solstice. I opened the book and read it in a fast paced action. My eyes examined the pages as they flew. I was able to read books at an incredible speed, and I could tell the Chronicler looked slightly impressed by my abilities. The deeper I read into the book, the more my eyes widened to what I read. As I finished reading, Ignitus kept looking at me.

"This isn't good. If we can't stop Barrage before he resurrects Malefor… there may be no stopping him this time…" I said as the book floated back towards Ignitus.

"Yes, but fortunately, I have a solution for you. I recently found an old spell that will bathe you in the powers of light. It will increase everything out of you, so you might have a chance," The Chronicler said.

My eyes lit up in excitement, "how do we start?!"

He gave a small chuckle, "well, it works like this:". Ignitus began to speak words I didn't understand. Even though I'm ancient, those words sounded prehistoric to me. My body began to glow in a white light, while also floating up. The white light began to shroud the room as he continued speaking the spell.

"...porthoa feranus diswair EXTRIMAU!" He shouted the last word and the room exploded in white. The Chronicler blinked a couple times since he didn't cover his eyes. After his eyes readjusted, he looked to see what had become of me, only to smile proud of what I had become.

 _Thirty minutes after Vortex's disappearance. General PoV_

* * *

"Where did he go?" Everyone wondered aloud as to where the wolf had went. They all met back up at a cliff side to reveal any clues into the wolf's whereabouts.

"Okay, anybody find anything?" Hiccup asked the team, but everyone either shook their head or shrugged.

"Don't tell me he was a spy all along!" Snotlout began to grow annoyed by this prolonged search.

"Maybe his is! Or maybe.. he isn't…" Tuffnut spoke in his weird way, while Ruffnut gave a 'dun, dun, dun!' in the back.

"Are they always like this?" Spyro asked, which Hiccup only sighed and nodded.

Astrid looked away and noticed something that looked off right off the bat. "Hey guys, Trader Johann wasn't coming today, right?" All the Dragonriders just shrugged, "then you might wanna see this…". Everyone looked at where she was talking about, only to see a ship in the distance. It looked similar to Johann's ship indeed, but the banner showed it wasn't his.

"Ever seen a banner like that before?" Astrid asked, trying to stay out of sight from possibly anyone aboard.

"Not anything I've seen before," Fishlegs replied.

"Guys, look!" Hiccup said. Everyone watched as the ship docked in the port they had built. They all deducted there was someone on the ship as no ship could do that without a crew. Everyone watched as a shadowy figure stepped out o the boat, and began to walk down the port.

"Stand back! I'll handle this!" Hiccup said as he hopped on Toothless. Everyone watched as they flew down the cliff side and landed in front of the stranger.

Hiccup and Toothless landed with a thud in front of the figure. It was clear he jumped a little.

"Who are you?" Hiccup demanded. The figure stepped out of the shadows, only to shock the two. It was another dragon like Viper! He was wearing a… burned uniform. He had a expression that looked like came from hell and back. His scales were a dark green, but had numerous scorch marks present on his body.

"...please… help…" It said in a weak voice, then collapsed in front of Hiccup. Hiccup looked back at Toothless.

"Well, bud. This week is getting weirder and weirder by the second."

* * *

Hey, sorry for the short chapter. I had 3 projects due today (given last thursday with crappy instructions, lol) and a test. So i was a little tired (sarcasm included) and really annoyed.

Bear in mind, next chapter might be like this to if similar development happen.

R&R, AND HAVE A NICE DAY! :D


	12. Chapter 12: How it will Unfold

Last chapter, I felt kinda disappointed about it, so here's a better one to fill my sorrows with possibly more sorrow, lol.

* * *

 _An hour after rescuing Damian…_

"So… what do we do with him?" Astrid asked Hiccup while gesturing towards the unconscious dragon, who was lying on a bed. The doctors around looked scared to even check up on him.

"Well, once he regains consciousness, we may be able to figure out more of the situation at hand," Hiccup said. He noticed Viper sitting near the dragon looked sad about something. He walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "are you alright?"

Viper sighed deeply, "I honestly don't know. After seeing another of my kind harmed by my former master, it's hard to look back the good times." His look didn't change.

"Cheer up, Viper! Once we stop Barrage from summoning Malefor, you can go to live a happy life!" Hiccup smiled at Viper, who looked away for a moment before glancing back with a petite smile, "all we need is for him to wake up."

Snotlout snorted, "oh please, like we're gonna get anything from him. It's not like he's gonna wake up in 3.. 2.. 1.." he put up his fingers, but as soon as he said one, the unconscious dragon gasped for air as he sat up. Everyone ran the dragon' side but Snotlout and the twins. Snotlout looked at his hands for a moment, before jumping and cheering, "I HAVE THE POWERS OF A GOD!"

"He has godlike powers?! TEACH US YOUR WAYS!" The twins said simultaneously and they got on their knees and bowed to Snotlout.

"GUYS!" Hiccup shouted at the three before Snotlout could soak the glory all in.

"Okay, okay…" Snotlout rolled his eyes and muttered something about 'killjoy' before moving towards the panicking dragon.

"Woah, woah, woah! Hey, easy! We won't harm you!" Hiccup tried to coax the dragon.

"G-Get away from me!" He tried backing away, but his back was already on the wall. His eyes darted around, and could see he was surrounded.

"S-S-Stay away! Or I'll-!" he then noticed Viper standing amongst them. He became incredibly confused, along with his fear.

"They won't harm you, friend," Viper spoke in a calm voice. Damian started to relax as lowered his arms.

"Are you alright?" Hiccup asked the dragon.

"Y-Yeah, I'm good," Damian said softly as he stood up.

"What's your name?" Astrid asked. The dragon looked hesitant for a moment before speaking, "Damian, and all of you are?"

Hiccup stood forward, "my name is Hiccup, those are Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuffnut, and Stoick." Each of them gave their small poses while Hiccup pointed each one of them out to Damian.

Hiccup moved on to the dragons in the back, "that is Spyro and Cynder." Hiccup was interrupted by Toothless giving him a nudge. He gave a small chuckle, "and this is Toothless."

Damian looked at Viper, "well, what's your name?"

"My name is Viper," he replied.

Damian just stared at him for a few moments, before shaking his head and chuckling, "that's rich… but Viper has been dead for a long time." Everyone was shocked, with Toothless slightly going on the defensive.

"W-What? What do you mean?" Viper didn't know where he was going.

"I had a brother when I was younger, his name was Viper, but he's dead! He's been dead for so long ago!" Damian shouted out. He held out his left arm, there was a small, black scar on the back of his paw, "this… is what the two of us were born with. But it doesn't matter, he's gone!" Tears were beginning to form in his eyes, but they never feel. Viper reached out his paw, his palm faced up.

"Then maybe, there is another chance for the both of us," Viper said, smiling softly as he flipped his left paw over. On the back of his paw was a small black scar. Everyone was even more surprised by the sudden turn of events. Damian looked at the paws for a moment before slowly looking up to Viper. Tears flew down their snouts as they faced one another.

"No…" was all Damian could muster.

"Hello, brother," Viper spoke with a soft smile. Damian smiled happily as he jumped and hugged his brother. They both had a look of happiness and joy as they laughed and cried in their arms. Everyone held a smile as they watched the sudden reunion, tears flowing down some of their faces. Even Snotlout looked like he was about to cry. As soon as Damian release from the embrace, he looked at the dragons in the back and became curious, he had never seen a dragon like Toothless, Spyro, or Cynder before. Their whole island is so secluded..

"I've never seen those kind of dragons before, what are they?" He quickly looked at Spyro and Cynder, "and you two." He spoke quickly, attempting not to be rude, but they didn't seem to mind. Everyone else had a weird expression on their face except for the two dragons in the back.

"You've never seen dragons like these before?" Astrid and Fishlegs inquired simultaneously.

"Where I- we're from," Damian gestured to Viper, "we lived secluded away in the vast ocean. There hasn't been anyone or anything that has touched our shores for centuries…" he looked down and muttered, "until now…". Everyone's smiles of joy faded as bad just became worse...

"What happened?" Spyro asked.

"Our home island, Mertazlok… was attacked," everyone gasped, with Viper in extreme shock.

"H-How..? WHO?!" Viper began to hyperventilate. Damian didn't even flinch. Tears rolled down his eyes as he muttered the name.

"Barrage…". Viper went and sat on a stool, his mouth covering his snout as he looked stunned.

"His plan must be starting to go off. We may not have as much time as we thought," Stoick spoke.

"Agreed, we need to start preparing," Hiccup stated.

"Wait! I need your help!" Damian shouted at the team. They all stopped and stared at the scorched dragon. "My home island is in critical condition, if you could help me and my people out, we will forever remain in your debt."

Hiccup took a second to weigh his options before speaking, "we have to help them!"

"Son…" Stoick tried to say something.

"No Dad! We have to help! We need all the help we can in defeating Barrage, helping them is our best chance in assuring that," Hiccup stated.

"Agreed, this threat could be massive, we need all the help we can get," Spyro chimed in.

"Alright, who's with me?" Hiccup raised his fist in the air. Everyone spoke amongst themselves for a moment before looking back with a determined expression, smiling proudly, "alright! Saddle up, gang!"

* * *

 _Back with Vortex and the Chronicler…_

"It worked!" Ignitus said with some joy as Vortex walked closer to him. He had a white aura around him as he walked. He looked down at his arms and hands as he saw the glow.

"What did you do to me? I feel… powerful!" Vortex said with a little excitement. The aura ceased and everything around him turned back to normal.

"In a sense, you were 'bathed in light'. Now you will have the strength to fight Barrage and his evil plans!" Ignitus spoke.

"Ugh…" Vortex gripped his head. Ignitus noticed this immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"Mr. Ignitus, I don't feel so good," Vortex spoke as he fell on side. The last thing he saw was Ignitus running up to him, shouting his name before his sight darkened.

The next thing he remembers was waking up on a bench. He groaned as he sat up, then noticed his armor was removed off of him. Probably a good thing.

"Ahh, you're awake! Are you feeling well?" The Chronicler walked up next to him.

"Ugh, other than my head, I'm fine. Man I feel like I had a migraine but so much worse in every way," Vortex spoke as he rubbed the spaces between his eyes. It was then he noticed the bandage on his head.

"That hit from Stormfly did a toll on you, but you recovered quickly," The Chronicler stated.

"How long was I out for?" Vortex asked.

"Almost a day, I'm afraid," Ignitus said.

"A DAY?!" Vortex's eyes widened as he stood up in a swift motion. Clearly he was feeling much better than earlier.

"I am afraid so."

"The Solstice! I have to warn the others!" Vortex rushed to his armor, which was on a small railing not far away. Just as he reached his armor…

"Wait!" Vortex stopped midway as the Chronicler spoke. He turned to face his mentor.

"Ignitus?" Vortex was confused.

"Before you leave, do you remember what I said about Convexity?" The Chronicler asked.

"Uhh… well, it's the element of darkness. Not truly natural…" Vortex put a paw under his chin, trying to remember everything.

"Yes, well… I need to tell you something about it," Vortex listened as he continued, "I have told you wrong about Convexity. It is rather a realm or dimension that exist outside and surround the realms. The proper term for the element is called Aether; it is neither good or bad, but a naturally occurring element. It is the power of the cosmos, and can create or destroy; to give power or to take power. It is incredibly difficult to explain, and I am sorry."

It took a few moments for Vortex to process this information. He pressed his hands together, pointed them at The Chronicler, and closed his eyes. He sighed, "so, I've not only confused the names, but also their properties?" The Chronicler nodded. Vortex looked away, "I've been bamboozled."

"Oh, please don't be like that!" The Chronicler chuckled slightly.

"I'm still so confused," Vortex rubbed his head.

"Maybe this will help you," Ignitus said as a book appeared in front of Vortex, labeled, "The Elemental power of Aether and the Realm of Convexity". Jeez that was a long title for a book. Vortex looked through the book as sonic speeds. His face became more understanding as he read. As he finished and closed the book, he slowly nodded.

"Alright, that makes so much more sense," Vortex said. He walked to the armor and placed it in. It took him a few minutes,but it was surprising fast. He stretched and cracked his knuckles.

"Be careful, and please watch over Spyro and Cynder," Ignitus spoke with caution.

"I will," Vortex winked as he disappeared, leaving The Chronicler by himself.

"I hope so…"

* * *

 _Time jump 3 hours after the united teams left for Mertazlok…_

"It shouldn't be much further!" Damian shouted as they flew in the air. Even in times of peril, the airs seem so peaceful, it made Hiccup feel somewhat secure. His mind snapped back to current thoughts as he looked behind him to see Damian.

"How will we be able to help without seeming like a threat?" Hiccup asked the dragon behind him.

"If I can get in the ground, I might be able to convince the soldiers to stand down for fighting while we work!" Damian replied back.

"Sounds good!" Hiccup said.

"Land up ahead!" Astrid shouted. Everyone looked to see where she was talking about, only to have their eyes shrivel in fear. Half the island looked either obliterated or consumed in flames. Large pillars of smoke shot into the air, it looked as if multiple volcanoes had gone off on the island. Viper, sitting behind Astrid, covered his snout as he gazed upon the horrendous landscape. He teared up, beginning to let his hate for Barrage fuel up. Astrid noticed his uneasiness almost immediately.

"Don't worry, we'll help in every way we can," she gave a soft smile. Viper looked at her for a few moments before dropping the hatred and smiling weakly back.

As they neared the surface, a horn in the distance blared, while a firecracker exploded nearby. The twins were immediately in awe, but Damian immediately became scared. Before anyone could ask what was happening; large fireballs, ice shards, rocks, and several bolts of electricity began to fling past their faces. Everyone dodged and weaved, while Hiccup attempted to get closer. Hiccup noticed the dragon people below and immediately became curious, but also alert. They wore a uniform similar to what Damian wore, some more patched while others were more torn apart.

"More intruders?! Take them down!" One spoke from below, as the continuous onslaught of attacks kept zooming all around him.

"Stop firing! We're here to help!" Hiccup tried to explain, but the soldiers never listened.

"Fight them off! We can't let them reach the southern cities!" A soldier cried from below. More waves of elemental attacks came at the group at high speeds. Spyro and Cynder were surprised by their level of expertise with the elements.

"We can't get close enough!" Hiccup shouted as Toothless dodged and weaved through numerous fireballs and rocks. Damian put a paw under his snout for a moment before standing up. Toothless grunted when he did that, primarily because he was still trying not to get hit by elemental attacks when Damian started moving.

"I got this! Hang on a second!" Damian shouted as he jumped off off the black dragon.

"Brother, no!" Viper shouted, but Damian never heeded his words. Damian fell at an immense speed to the ground below, doing a couple of somersaults in the air. Soldiers below noticed his approached and dodged out of the way, as he landed with a thunderous crash. The area around was covered in dust. Several soldiers prepared for an attack as they armed themselves. As the dust fell, Damian walked through the cloud. His clothes slightly covered in dust. The soldiers immediately recognized him and stood down slightly. Their faces were filled with relief.

"Damian! We're glad you're here! We need to take down these intruders before they wreak havoc!" One of them said.

"No!" Damian shouted. They became confused.

"What? But they're-!"

"I said no! I brought in help from a nearby island and now you must stand down! Believe me! They won't harm us!"

The soldier stared up at the dragons above. Damian was right about one thing, they're not harming any of the others when they're at their weakest point. The soldier shot a flare above the ground that exploded in a brilliant flash. Multiple after explosions followed after them. That signal was meant to cease fighting. Everyone who saw the signal immediately stopped firing at the dragons above. Damian looked upward and signaled everyone to land. When they landed, all the soldiers around became nervous as humans were seen riding the strange dragons. Damian darted between the two groups.

"Relax, they aren't the kind who harmed us long ago. They wish to help and are trustworthy," Damian said. Everyone was hesitant, but slowly nodded. Damian looked back toward the unified team, "here's what we need to do…". Damian explained the situation and the tasked they needed to do.

"...got it?" Damian asked. Everyone nodded and got to work. All the Dragonriders went into the cities to help any civilians in need, while Spyro and Cynder began to deal with rampant fires. The whole ordeal took 8 hours to even settle the situation. By the end of it, everyone was tired and much of their energy consumed, but it was worth it to help those in need.

"Thanks you, guys! You've done a incredible service to our people! And for that, we are forever in your debt!" Damian shouted with rejoice as he surveyed the land around. It was still destroyed, but looked a lot better than it did before. The thoughts of those families that will never see their loved ones still haunted him, but it slowly drifted to the back of his mind.

"No problem, now let's head home. We still need to find Vortex," Hiccup said as they were about to take off. Damian suddenly mounted with Hiccup, confusing him.

"Wait, don't you think you and your brother should stay and help?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, we need to repay your kindness somehow. So… we decided to tag along and help you with your problem!" Damian said with a smile. Hiccup looked back at him for a moment before chuckling.

"Alright bud, let's go home!" And with that, they made their way back to the Edge. The trip back were filled with chatter about the dragonese culture; how did they survive, their powers, their past, and… the battle. Surprisingly, they felt as if the trip back had only been an hour, even though it was about three and a half, when they made it back to the Edge. It was starting to grow darker as everyone landed near the boar pit. Everyone dismounted off their dragons, their faces slightly weary.

Hiccup clapped his hands, "alright, gang! We should-", he took notice of the everyone's tired expression, but Spyro and Cynder looked completely awake. He looked back at the dark sky and sighed, "let's… all get some rest. We can search for Vortex tomorrow. Be here at eight; Spyro, Cynder, I'll come wake you when it's about time." They nodded.

"We've got work to do gang, rest up." Everyone went to their quarters to rest up after putting their dragons inside their pens. Spyro and Cynder went back into the cave below, while Viper and Damian went to a spare shed nearby.

* * *

The next morning, everyone meet up near the boar pit again as the sun's light covered the land around them. Hiccup soaked in all of the warmth as he surveyed the team around them. They still looked exhausted, but ready to go at a moments notice.

"Alright gang! Now with the assistance of the dragonese completed, we need to search for Vortex!" Hiccup spoke to the group.

"Looking for me? Kinda hard to miss a humanoid wolf creature in broad daylight. If you complete missed me disappearing, you might wanna look at your eyesight," a voice rang from behind him. Everyone looked to see Vortex yawning as he leaned on a pole. What shocked everyone is how he managed to appear there without being seen or heard.

"Where the hell have you been?" Astrid and Snotlout spoke simultaneously, both looked extremely agitated.

Vortex held his hands up in defense, "easy, there. I was out gathering some… information. And trust me, it's valuable about Barrage's plan and the significance of the Solstice." Hiccup raises an eyebrow.

"Go on…".

"Well, Barrage's assault on Mertazlok wasn't a coincidence or just out of pure rage. It was harboring a dark secret inside a vault," Vortex faced Damian, "have you heard about the Gem of Darkness?"

Damian put a paw underneath his chin, "well, there was a rumor that long ago, there was a safe hidden inside the Courthouse where it harbored such a stone, but I thought that was false. I guess that was what the safe in the Courtroom held."

"Yes," he faced Spyro and Cynder, "do you remember the crystals that trapped Malefor before you pulled the planet together?"

"Wait, hold up! Wha-," Snotlout tried to speak.

"Yeah, why?" Cynder asked.

"Well, apparently when fused together. It can create a Soul Gem; and this one in particular is powerful enough to hold Malefor within," everyone gasped.

"There's more. The reason why Barrage is waiting is because he needs the Solstice," Vortex continued.

"Why does he need the Solstice if he already has Malefor's literal soul?" Astrid asked.

"Because on the day of the Solstice, the boundaries between the dead and the living, light and the dark, are at their weakest points. If you had a gem powerful enough, you could bring back _anyone_ with it," Vortex stated.

"So he's gonna shatter it them, so what? If we attack him now, we can stop him!" Snotlout said arrogantly.

"It's not that simple. It cannot be destroyed by our abilities; it's virtually indestructible! In order for a soul to be revived in the real world, in needs to be shattered in a specific kind of magma in a volcano"

"So..?"

"It means that Barrage wants to bring back Malefor in the day of the Solstice by dropping the gem into a magma chamber," he looked up towards the volcano behind them, "and he's gonna need your island's volcano to do it…".

* * *

Hey, so. I'm probably gonna get another chapter in by the end of the week (if we're lucky, maybe two…), because I'm going out of town in like a week or two.


	13. Chapter 13: Last Second Skirmish

I want to say thank you for over 5,000 views on this story. Even though that may be a small number for some of you, and several may have read all the chapters. For a guy who just started writing in less than 3 months, that feels nice for me. Thank you all for reading this story so far and to help me improve over time!

Also, shoutout to Nianque for helping me understand a little more of the lore with the Legend of Spyro! Have any questions about LoS lore, they are the person to talk to!

* * *

 _Time jump back; 20 minutes after the battle of Mertazlok…_

"Why THAT kind of magma, shouldn't any magma from any volcano do the trick?" Barrage asked.

" _ **In theory, it should. However, we're adding an ancient perspective to this. Certain volcanoes have been around during my time, even though these realms are vastly different. They act around the same time frame as each other, thanks to the realm of Convexity. That volcano on 'Dragon's Edge' is the oldest one in the archipelago. Seize it, drop the crystal within, and we will rule this land together, with you as my right hand,"**_ Malefor spoke in his mind.

"That plan sounds wonderful," Barrage smiled wickedly. There was a brief pause, before Malefor's voice returned.

" _ **Someone is coming. You know the plan, I shall leave you to it…"**_ Malefor went silent as Barrage looked to see who dare intrude his workspace. The tent flap shook as Krogan appeared, smirking slightly. Someone was standing near him. He had a small beard, and looked like some sort of jester, or an old actor. The other looked very surprised when seeing him, but they both still held an insidious gaze.

"Krogan," Barrage spoke.

"My, my, Barrage! You really have changed! Have you been working out?" Krogan teased.

"Spare me from your jokes, what do you want and who is this with you?" Barrage spoke coldly.

The other human gave an annoyed cough, "I am Johann, and I have a proposition for you."

Barrage didn't move and kept his glare, but said, "continue…"

"I want you to find me anything that is of relevance to this. If you can't, then find someone who can," Johann spoke in a commanding tone. He had a folder with pages in it. Barrage growled, but took the papers anyway. He read over them before saying, "I don't have the time for this, but I know someone who will get this in time."

"Your scout?" Krogan asked.

Barrage scowled, "he was a traitor, but actually, I sent Viskor and some of his men out for a scouting mission. I will make them change directives and hunt down information on what you want."

"Very well, I expect reports the morning of the Solstice," Johann said.

"Watch who your commanding, or next time, I'll rip your throat out for you to remember," Barrage threatened before they left. He growled, before snapping his fingers to find Viskor.

 _Present Time…_

Barrage was in his training grounds, as he was preparing to storm Dragon's Edge. He knew that unlike Mertazlok, this wasn't going to be easy. They're smarter, stronger… especially with Spyro and Cynder at their side, and more organized than those of the Order. He continued using his darkened abilities and tested all new ones he learned: fear, poison, shadow, etc. He would become a force to be reckoned and no one would stop him from finishing his goals and reviving Malefor. He smiled as he fired a beam of darkness and another dummy burned to ashes. Tomorrow was gonna be a good day...

* * *

 _Back with the unified team…_

"So… your saying this volcano is needed to resurrect Malefor and conquer this world?" Snotlout asked.

Vortex nodded, "yeah, that's about it."

"And all this time, when we were calling it Convexity, it's actually called Aether?" Spyro chimed in. Vortex nodded again.

"Can you explain the power of Aether and its relevance to the elements, because I'm just lost," Astrid flat out spoke.

"Of course, but it's very hard to explain. Aether is basically in a sense a 'neutral element'. It has both properties of good and bad. Aether has the ability to create, and the power to destroy, to give or to take, a balance between them," Vortex said.

"Is that why I used a wind ability when we first met them?" Cynder asked, but referenced their first meeting with the Dragonriders.

"While the four main elements are basically the embodiment of Aether, there are lesser elements such as wind, water, etc. Hell, even the ones Malefor created are by Aether, though manipulated through corruption. Generally, corrupted uses of Aether like that is referred to as Nether."

"That's… hard to follow through," Hiccup stated.

"Indeed, and I'm sorry that I can't say it in a clearer way, but it's just that way," Vortex hung his head solemnly, only to immediately raise it back up, "we don't have much time until the Solstice. How many more days do we have?"

"It's tomorrow," Fishlegs replied.

"Damn, that isn't much time. Alright, we need to train and to be ready by after tomorrow, or it's the end of the world," Vortex said.

"How do we prepare for something, or someone rather, that can destroy an entire army without breaking a sweat?" Damian asked.

"We need to strategize, but still hit him with everything we have. He can't dodge forever," Vortex said.

"We can't fight for long, our dragons are still healing!" Fishlegs exclaimed.

"I thought about that. Here, follow me," Vortex walked over to Hookfang, who growled slightly when he approached.

"Easy, buddy! I'm not gonna harm ya!" Vortex raised his hands in defense, but Hookfang didn't back down. Vortex stood next to the orange dragon and pulled out from behind him a small, red gem. Everyone became suspicious as to what he was trying to do. Vortex cracked the gem then darted away. The mist began to wrap around Hookfang, scaring him slightly. Everyone watched as the mist suddenly disappeared, and nothing happened.

"Wait, why didn't it heal him?" Spyro asked. Vortex put a paw under his chin to think for a moment.

He turned and faced everyone else, "I think I know why. These gems are made in Spyro and Cynder's realm. Using something like these on being from another realm like this might cause an anomaly. The only exception to that would be the powers a being holds when traveling."

"Strange, I thought it would work with anyone or anything," Cynder pondered as she watched the gem disintegrate into nothing.

"I guess not, but don't worry. I have another way to help them out," Vortex said as he reached his hand out slowly. Hookfang growled when Vortex touched him, but didn't attack. A warm green glow emanated from his hands has he touched his skin. Everyone watched as the Dragon's major wounds glowed that same green color. They began to rapidly heal as Hookfang became healed. Once Vortex had stopped the procedure, he looked back smiling; a sweat drop appeared in his forehead.

"How… did you..?" Everyone looked stunned. He sighed.

"I learned this from a powerful, yet extremely friendly mage named Penumbra. She taught me the ways of magic and teleportation, also she made some killer stew you should try!" Vortex explained. He smirked, "everyone, bring your dragons and yourselves over here! Come here and get stabilized!" For the next few minutes, Vortex had healed up everyone and every dragon that needed it. He was tired by the end of it, but crushed a couple of green gems and he was fine. Everyone was inspecting their healed limbs and areas when Vortex stood in the middle of the field.

"Alright, everyone! Now that we have been healed up, I need to see you in combat," Vortex clapped his hands.

"But, how? And who will we go against?" Astrid asked.

"Me," Vortex smirked as spoke.

"Won't you get hurt?" Cynder asked.

"Do you think you can hurt me?" Vortex challenged.

Cynder's eye twitched slightly "oh-ho-ho-ho! You are so dead!"

Vortex got into a ready stance as everyone either got into their stance or hopped on their dragons. "We'll see about that!"

 _Music: Night of Nights (Nitro remix) begins..._

The Dragonriders began to swarm around him as the skirmish began.

"Alright team, we've seen some of what he can do. Don't underestimate him!" Hiccup shouted.

"Think you gotta tell us twice," Snotlout retorted. They all saw Spyro and Cynder move up slightly.

"Stormfly, spineshot!" Astrid cried. Stormfly did as she was commanded and fired multiple fast needles at Vortex. He did a backflip to dodge the attack, only to be ambushed by small fireballs hitting his back. He grunted as he looked up to see Fishlegs and Meatlug cheering their successful attack, only to shrivel as they saw it had minimal effect. His armor was slightly scorched as he glared at them, but smiled at their attempt.

Damian and Viper did a rushed attack at Vortex. He smiled as they came at him, fire in their fists. He smiled as Viper fired a volley of attacks from a short distance away, while Damian rushed him. Vortex noted their patterns as they continued. All of the sudden Vortex appeared next to Viper, who's eyes shriveled at the sudden move. He was hit to a very hard punch to the stomach. Viper was sent flying backwards, and hit a tree with immense force. He grunted and fell to the ground, unconscious. While Vortex wasn't looking, Damian charged up his fist with energy and propelled himself at Vortex. Vortex did a large backflip in the air. Damian watched as he generated a white spear in his hand and threw it at him. It exploded when it hit him, creating a small crater and knocking him out instantly.

Stoick and his dragon began to charge at the wolf. To Vortex's surprise, Stoick hopped off his dragon and began to attack him with his battle axe. Vortex dodged swing after swing as Stoick cried out in a warrior like fashion. Vortex grabbed his axe halfway into its descent upon him, both of them growling as they struggled. Vortex pulled up a flaming fist and swung it at Stoick's chest. Sending him flying back and knocking him out. Skullcrusher, after witnessing that, charged ahead with no plans whatsoever. Vortex smirked as he used his levitation ability. While it does use a lot of energy, it was by far his best attacks. Vortex, while struggling to keep a hold on Skullcrusher, raised his glowing hand in the air. Skullcrusher rose into the air, looking absolutely confused. Vortex smiled as he flicked his hand, and launched Skullcrusher into a rocky wall, taking down the dragon. Sweat was starting to become evident on his forehead.

Vortex then noticed the Twins circling him, clouding him in a green smoke.

"Light it!" One of them yelled, he could never tell who was who. Suddenly, the gas combusted into flames, generating smoke around him so he couldn't see around it. That blast did hurt, but he covered his face with his arms. All of a sudden, multiple blasts ripped through the cloud, hitting him where he couldn't be be able to dodge or block in time. Spyro and Cynder watched this happen.

"They might pull it off!" Cynder exclaimed as they continued firing into the cloud. Vortex jumped from above the cloud, his armor blown apart and scorched.

"That's it! Supernova!" Vortex screamed as he held out his arms. His body generated a void like aura around it. Instantly, the skies between them exploded, knocking all of the Dragonriders back or onto the ground.

"Guess not," Spyro scowled as he readied himself. Hiccup and Astrid, along with their dragons flew to Spyro and Cynder.

"He's too strong! We need another plan!" Astrid exclaimed. Spyro looked back at Vortex. He was panting, which meant that combined attack had weakened and fired him out.

"We have to work together, follow my lead!" Spyro said.

"Why should you lead?" Astrid asked. Spyro noticed Vortex was charging an attack.

"Uh oh! Take cover!" Spyro yelled as he pushed the two dragons and Dragonriders out of the way of a small beam of light.

"Uhh… okay, you lead!" Hiccup responded.

"Okay, listen! That attack you did weakened him! If we pull off something similar, we might beat him!" Spyro explained while de dodged light ranged attacks.

"What do you propose?" Hiccup asked.

"Distract him so Cynder and I can get in close!" Spyro yelled.

"Alright!" Both Dragonriders exclaimed with a nod as they took off at Vortex at high speeds. The two Dragonriders began to circle around Vortex.

"What are they planning?" Vortex gazed up at the Dragons above. They fired a volley of fire, spine, and plasma attacks. Vortex huffed as he dodged out of the way. He smacked a few spine-shots and plasma blasts out of the way, but not before hearing something behind him. He turned around to see Cynder escape her shadowy form and reach out at him, claws extended. Vortex barely managed to dodge out of the way before Spyro suddenly appeared from behind and tail smacked him into the ground.

 _Music_ _ends..._

"Did we do it?" Cynder asked out loud as Hiccup and Astrid floated slightly above them. Everyone shuddered when they heard a laugh coming from the small crater.

"Almost, yet not even close…" Vortex jumped out of the carter and fired numerous light daggers at the four. They all dodged the attack and moved out of the way as Vortex landed on the ground. He was gasping and wheezing for breath.

"Alright, alright! I think it's safe to say you guys have potential," Vortex fell onto his knees, still breathing hard.

"What about are friends?!" Hiccup asked, showing a tad bit of anger.

"Jeez, just give me a minute… and I thought she was bad enough," Vortex wheezed as he pointed a finger at Astrid.

"Hey?!" Astrid yelled in annoyance as she balled her fists.

"To answer your… question… I will try something," Vortex floated off the ground. Toothless and Stormfly prepared themselves to strike, but their riders prevented them from firing. A warm green aura flowed around Vortex.

"Teshari… healuas!" He released a ball of green energy around him as it escaped his body. It flashed the island in a green glow before ceasing. Everyone got up and looked at themselves and to their surprise, was healed up. Vortex however, fell to the ground at a fast pace. Spyro raced over and caught the warrior wolf in midair. Spyro landed with a thud as he set the wolf on the ground.

"Think he will be okay?" Fishlegs asked when walking up to his friends' side.

"He better! I want a rematch!" Snotlout pounded his fist. They heard a weak groan and a tired Vortex attempting to his head.

"Hey, hey! Easy! Just rest," Hiccup tried to keep the wolf down.

"...green... gem… now….!" The wolf wheezed out. Spyro nodded as he raced over and grabbed a gem from the gem sack he had lying around. He took two green gems as he rushed back to his ally's side. He placed them in each of his paws, gently squeezing Vortex's paws so it would crush them. As soon as he heard a crack, he backed away. A light green aura soon enveloped around the wolf, slowly making him rise up. As it ended, Vortex stood up; his face slightly scared but he was alright.

He grunted as he stretched, "thanks. I owe you one." Spyro nodded back.

"What about your armor?" Viper asked nervously.

Vortex looked down at his armor. It was blown to bits, with only some parts of his chest piece, shoulder pads, and leggings intact. The casual clothing underneath was also slightly torn, but he didn't care about that right now, "I know someone who can patch this up in a short amount of time."

"Alright, so what now?" Astrid asked.

"You've shown me that you have the capability to work together. You just might have a chance to end this!" Vortex cheered. Everyone smiled at each other.

"However," everyone stopped their cheers and looked back at the battle scared wolf, "we cannot underestimate our opponent. Viper, you were with him for some time, can you give us any insights as how he attacks?"

"He attacks in the morning, and tries to be unpredictable. Hates fire based attacks," Viper tried to recall his past experiences with his former master.

Vortex began to notice he upcoming sunset, "Alright, everyone! Get some rest! We need to be prepared for the morning!" Everyone nodded and returned to their sleeping areas, while Vortex snapped his fingers and returned to The Chronicler's chambers.

"My, my, Vortex. What a test!" The Chronicler quipped as he walked away from his studies.

"Tell me about it. Do you have a spare set of armor and a couple of gems?" Vortex asked as he took of the broken armor, which instantly fell apart the moment they touched the ground. He rolled his eyes.

"The chest over there has a spare for you, as well as a couple gems," The Chronicler returned as he pointed towards a chest near the bookcase.

"Thank you," Vortex gave a small respectable bow as he walked over to the chest. He opened it up and saw the spare set of armor. It was the same size and style as his previous set, but had much more of a dragon like decor imprinted on it. He put on the armor, and took the gems out of the chest.

"Vortex," He turned around to see Ignitus standing there with a worried expression, "please take care of them for me." Vortex held a small, saddened look and turned away.

"I… I will, I promise," Vortex nodded as he disappeared. Ignitus sighed.

"You better keep your promise, for our sake… and the realm's…". A book slowly floated towards him and appeared right in front of his face. Curious, he opened the book and read it, only to be absolutely horrified by what he saw. The pictures and words told three separate tales: one of pure darkness, one of light, and the final of a bloody battlefield and sacrifice…

* * *

So, I might not upload next week until about next Friday, 3/22/18, due to personal matters. Don't worry, it's nothing bad, just a break!

I will work on the project while I have time off, but do not expect an update until the date above.

The story is coming to a close… will Spyro, Cynder, and the Dragonriders stop Barrage from shrouding the world in Darkness… or will chaos ensue the Archipelago?

R&R and have a nice day!


	14. Chapter 14: Darkened Skies

Hey all! :D

I want to make an announcement! I have decided to start a brand new series!

As oppose to my first FF, "Undertails," I'm not sure on how it will play out. Will I stop making it or not, I still don't know.

Also, I apologize if this chapter seems bad. I had little time to proofread and check myself as I was surrounded by family.

By now, you are probably wanting to get back to the story, so here you go… you have been warned…

* * *

Barrage woke up around 7:00, mainly from Malefor's voice in his head, screaming, _**"The time has come for me to return!"**_ Barrage was spooked by the sudden appearance of Malefor's voice, as he was actually having a good dream about destroying the Dragonriders, Spyro, and Cynder. He fell of his bed, landing on the hard ground beneath him with a thud.

"Ugh… master, please don't do that again," Barrage groaned as he rubbed his head.

" _ **Very well… now, prepare for your task ahead, and bring terror upon the land!"**_ Malefor commanded in his head. Barrage could hear an audible growl from Malefor inside his head.

"Yes, master. I will send some hunters with me to the Edge," Barrage said respectfully. He stretched as he walked out his tent and saw a fleet of ships in the docks. _'Well… this was a surprise. I didn't expect them to be ready this fast…'._

He walked up to Viskor, who trembled when he approached him. "Is the fleet battle ready yet?"

"Y-Yes sir!"

"Good," Barrage smirked, "open your map." Viskor did what he was told and opened a map of the archipelago. An island, Dragon's Edge, was circled in the center of it.

"I want you to place all your ships here and wait for my signal," Barrage instructed as he pointed to a small island just southbound of Dragon's Edge.

"Aye, b-but what will you be doing, sir?" Viskor asked, slightly shaking.

"Me? I'm gonna warm up before we storm the island. Speaking of, I will go ahead and start, we attack at 9:00 or until my command," Barrage spoke as he disappeared. Viskor watched as he teleported away, he turned back to the other hunters.

"Alright, saddle up. We leave now!"

 _7:45…_

" _ **I understand you had to eat, but can you be serious about this damn it. Remember, the barrier is at its weakest when the clock strikes 12:00,"**_ Malefor spoke in an annoyed tone.

"Right, but wouldn't it be easier to drop it when I have the chance! I don't want to risk losing a chance then losing altogether," Barrage asked.

" _ **Fine… what are you doing anyway? Shouldn't you be be preparing?"**_ Malefor growled.

"Like I said, I need to warm myself up, and what better way to do that than to have some nice target practice," Barrage chuckled darkly as he appeared high above a destroyed city. The island of Mertazlok.

" _ **Why come back here, I thought you already gave them your wrath?"**_ Malefor asked.

"I have, but a little more won't hurt me," Barrage smiled as he lifted his palms in the air. A small ball of darkness began to form in his palms, as the skies around grew darker. The ball began to grow in strength as bolts of darkness and Barrage's dark energy began to build up in it. Malefor could sense his intention and smiled inside.

Every dragonese on the ground watched the skies grow dark and lightning strike an object far beyond from what they can see. After a few minutes of charging the attack up, Barrage smiled.

"Shadowstrike… FIRE!" Barrage screamed as he thrusted his palms downward and fired a large beam of darkness. It traveled at sonic speeds towards its target, the inhabitants of Mertazlok. All who saw the beam attempted to run away from the impending doom, but it was far too late. Everything, along with its inhabitants were annihilated completely. Cities were blown to bits as everything, including its huge mountain, destroyed. Barrage let the beam continue for a few moments before cutting off the energy and the attack ceased. Barrage looked at the results and just smiled. There was nothing or no one down there that could've survived the attack… he destroyed everything.

" _ **I am impressed… very impressed. Use that power to take the island, eliminate all those who stand in your way, and FREE ME!"**_ Malefor screeched.

"Yes, I will, master," Barrage spoke plainly as he teleported and found Viskor's fleet nearby the Edge. Barrage was impressed that they were able to cover that amount of distance in such a short amount of time. He appeared next to Viskor, who shrieked when he showed up next to him.

"S-S-Sir!" He jumped.

"Change of plans, I want you to attack now, but if things get bad instantly, retreat," Barrage spoke.

"B-But sir-!" Viskor tried to protest.

"DO IT NOW!" Barrage screamed at Viskor, who shrunk down to the size of an ant when Barrage screamed at him.

"Y-Y-Yes sir!" He saluted as he stood back up. Barrage smiled as the numerous ships began to converge on the island. _'Here comes the reckoning…'._

* * *

 _Back with the heroes…_

Everyone woke up at sunrise (about 7:30), and looked at final preparations. The sun was up, but the area around still felt dark. Especially if one looked directly up at the sky, as a small black part remained. Everyone had gotten battle ready and were eating a nice breakfast before the final battle. As they sat around the table, the Dragonriders had a look of uncertainty on their faces.

"So, think we'll be able to stop Barrage from resurrecting Malefor?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup replied, "Hopefully, because if we don't-"

"It could mean the end of all of us," Fishlegs finished.

Hiccup sighed, "we need to stay focused. No joking around, the fate of the world lies on our shoulders."

"Honestly, I don't see what the problem is, no more responsibility. I think you guys are worrying too much," Tuffnut leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He opened his eyes when there was a long pause. Everyone but Ruffnut looked surprised at what he said.

Hiccup breathed out and clapped his hands together, "let me try to put this in a Thorston perspective. If the world dies, there will be no more boar pit."

The Twins gasped, "how could that monster do that?! We must destroy him once and for all!"

"Now that we're unified here," Hiccup muttered that first bit before continuing, "we should check up on the others." Everyone nodded in agreement as they finished up and walked out of the meeting hall. They approached the fields where Their dragons, Damian, Viper, Spyro, Cynder, and Vortex were located. All of them were having a conversation about something.

As Hiccup approached them, he overheard what they were saying.

"... saying, there are other things it can do besides THAT," Vortex's voice trailed in.

"Don't you think that using that much power would put to much strain on your body?" Cynder asked Vortex.

"Maybe," Vortex then noticed the Riders approaching.

"Oh! Hi, guys!" Viper waved happily to them.

"Hey guys. You guys look ready for one hell of a fight! Anyway, how's our defenses looking?" Vortex got straight to the point.

"Besides our dragons, we have a few catapults and spear launchers on the cliff side just in case," Fishlegs chimed in.

"Well that's great and all, but…" something caught Vortex's attention as he faced the ocean.

"C'mon, we're waiting!" Snotlout shouted angrily as he crossed his arms.

"You guys didn't call for any backup, right?" Vortex didn't turn.

"Uhh… no?" Hiccup returned.

He looked back towards them, "then you might wanna see this…". Everyone ran to where he was standing and looked into the sea. There were dozens of ships, all close to their port. They all bore the markings of…

"... Dragonhunters!" Hiccup screamed.

"Who and what are they?" Spyro yelled out a question.

"Ruthless warriors who hunt dragons with anti-dragon weaponry! Don't let their arrows or anything hit you!" Hiccup yelled back.

"I'll take your word on it!" Cynder returned.

"Everyone, form up!" Hiccup yelled as his dragon ran up next to him and took off. Everyone followed up his lead, with Vortex, Damian, and Viper standing by on the island. Hiccup noticed this and flew back towards them, hovering over the wolf.

"Why aren't you going with?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm staying here just in case they make it through. Them? Probably to operate the big guns or something," Vortex shrugged.

"Alright, but be careful," Hiccup nodded as he flew away. All the dragons began to rapidly strike down boat after boat. They were destroyed or highly damaged, as wave after wave of elemental abilities blew apart hull after hull. Dragonhunters screams filled the air as each ship was blown apart.

"Hahaha! This is too easy!" Snotlout cheered as Hookfang blew apart a mast.

"Be careful! We don't know if this is a coincidence or part of Barrage's attack!" Hiccup responded as he and Toothless dodged a volley of arrows.

"Look! They're falling back!" Astrid pointed out as the remaining ships were pulling away from the battle. There were still burning vessels within the waters, but several were destroyed with ice, earth, or charred by lightning. The dragons and Dragonriders returned to the ledge of the Edge and touched down next to the the wolf and two dragonese.

"That was amazing!" Damian cheered.

"That was too easy, something's up," Spyro said as he touched down.

"Agreed, everyone, be on guard for-" Viper tried to speak, but a bolt of lightning shot between him and his brother. Everyone turned to see a human-like dragon standing there, his arm extended outward with a small puff of smoke emanating from his palm.

"Me…" he smirked as he finished the sentence.

"Barrage!" Viper grew angered as he coiled his claws.

"Long time, no see, traitor!" Barrage snared.

"What do you want from us?!" Damian retorted.

"Oh, besides blowing up islands, destroying things that caused me pain in the past, and reviving someone… not much. Stay outta my way and you die… for now…" Barrage smirked.

Vortex put what he said into perspective. _'What did he mean by "blowing up islands" and "destroying things that caused me harm in the past"?'_ Then it hit him. His face fell with sudden fear. "No… you didn't…".

"Oh yes I did," Barrage chuckled.

"What is he talking about?" Stoick asked, rather annoyed. Vortex disappeared for a few moments, not before returning. He fell on his knees and hung his head.

"What happened?!" Snotlout yelled at the wolf.

"...the island…" Vortex spoke quietly, voice slightly wavering.

"SPEAK UP! WE CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Snotlout yelled.

"...Mertazlok… it's… its been destroyed," he spoke in the same voice. Everyone gasped as they fell back on what he said.

"No… all of our people… are dead?" Damian and Viper asked simultaneously, which Vortex only nodded. Tears formed within the two dragons eyes. All of a sudden, Damian screamed at Barrage, who was unmoved by anything.

"YOU… I'LL… I'LL KILL YOU!" Damian screamed.

"Good luck with that, bud," Barrage got into a fighting stance.

 _Music: Native Faith (Touhou 10) plays…_

Damian charged at Barrage with a flaming fist, but Barrage smacked him out of the air. He flew into a wall and was down for the count. Viper did a similar attack with range but Barrage fired an ice block that hit him and launched him back to the same spot as Damian, both down.

"Take to the skies!" Hiccup shouted as everyone except for Vortex flew into the skies. Vortex, on the other hand, went over to help out Damian and Viper, which Barrage surprisingly didn't pay much attention to.

"Toothless, plasma blast!" Hiccup shouted as Toothless fires a blob of purple energy at Barrage.

"Oh, please. This is just a waste of ti-" Barrage was cut off when he reached out his palm and stopped the blast. It combusted in his hand and a small pain reached him as he retracted his hand. There was a small sindge mark where the ball hit his hand.

"Alright, human. That actually hurt," Barrage shook his hand and growled slightly.

"Keep it up, bud!" Hiccup shouted as they continued firing at Barrage. He growled as he dodged attack after attack, then the rest joined it.

"Ruff! Tuff!" Hiccup shouted at the Twins. They nodded and began to circle Barrage.

"What's this?" Barrage said annoyingly as they spewed out green smoke.

"This will stop you from destroying our boar pit!" They both screamed.

Barrage held the most blanked look, "your what?" Instantly, the smoke exploded, shrouding him in a thick black smoke. The blast stung, but the immense amount of attacks coming through the smoke made it impossible to dodge, defend, or even fight back.

"They might beat him!" Vortex watched as the battle continued. Damian and Viper opened their eyes to watch. Vortex continued to use his healing abilities while they watched. All of a sudden, the smoke was pushed back by Barrage using a wind ability. He was covered in bruises.

"ENOUGH!" He screamed as a red shockwave emanated from his snout. It traveled fast at the heroes, changing the air and effecting the skies. Everyone but Fishlegs and Meatlug managed to escape the fury. Those two were caught in the wave and immediately brought down to the ground, crashing into the ground.

"He used the Fear Ability!" Cynder shouted in shock as another wave came flying at her.

"Yeah! We need to think! How do we beat him?" Hiccup yelled as he dodged a fire blast. Before anyone could say anything else, everyone watched as the Twins blew past them and charged at Barrage.

"Guys, NO!" Hiccup shouted, but it was far too late.

"THIS IS FOR THE BOAR PIT!" They both screamed as they and their dragon charged at Barrage head on. Barrage rolled his dragon eyes as he jumped above them. He then slammed into the Zippleback's back, plummeting then into the ground.

"Foolish," He shook his head as he sighed. He looked up at the volcano. _'I have to press on the top of the Volcano, now!'_ He spread his wings and began to fly up towards the top of the volcano.

"Hey, where do you think your going?" Snotlout shouted and followed him in pursuit.

"After them!" Hiccup shouted as the rest of the available Dragonriders followed after them.

"Lets go!" Vortex snapped his fingers as he, Viper, and Damian teleported onto a nearby ledge just barely below the volcano's top. They watched Snotlout, riding a almost fully covered in flames Hookfang,

"Get back here!" Snotlout screamed as he and his dragon chased the elusive Barrage. All the sudden, Barrage, close to the top of the summit, turned around and faced the oncoming Snotlout and Hookfang. He held out an orb of darkness.

"Shadowstrike!" He yelled as he thrusted his palm out. A small beam of darkness shot out. Snotlout gave a "ah, crap", and attempted to dodge, but they were caught in the beam. He screamed as he and his dragon fell onto the ledge that Vortex, Viper, and Damian were located.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup and Vortex screamed. Vortex ran over to Snotlout, while Hiccup and Astrid remained in the air above. Vortex put a paw on his neck.

"He's still alive!" Vortex sighed with relief. They all grew a heavy, angered expression when Barrage hovered above all of them, laughing in amusement.

"You think this is funny?!" Hiccup shouted angrily.

"Hilarious," Barrage smiled coldly.

"You… YOU WILL PAY!" Hiccup screamed as he, Astrid, and their dragons charged. However, Barrage saw this coming and fired two more attacks similar to how he took down Snotlout. They both fell onto the ledge. Stoick attempted a surprise attack from behind, but was met with a quick attack that thrusted him down onto the same ledge.

"Guys!" Vortex shouted in fear as he ran over to them. They all were unconscious, except for Damian and Viper, who were struggling to stand upright.

"I'm gonna grab the Twins and Fishlegs from the base of the volcano! Keep him busy until I get back!" Vortex said as he teleported to find and retrieve Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and their dragons.

Spyro and Cynder nodded as they flew up at Barrage. Firing wave after wave of unyielding elemental attacks. Barrage smiled, _'Finally…'._ He fired a area of effect blast that knocked them to the ground. They didn't get back up. Barrage just frowned, ' _that was no fun. And I thought they were powerful'._

" _ **And I thought they would be a challenge to you,"**_ Malefor spoke in his head.

Viper looked at his fallen friends then back up at Barrage, who landed on the ring on top of the volcano.

"Say, young scout. Why don't we make amends for our past? Why don't you join back up with me? We can have a great time tearing this world apart as our own! What do you say?" Barrage offered as he raised a hand.

Viper growled darkly, "Never with the like of you!"

"Viper, Viper, Viper… you are so naive… **AND TO THINK WE COULD RULE TOGETHER WITH MALEFOR!"** Barrage voice turned demonic as he fire a small beam from his pointer and middle finger together. The beam went straight at Viper. Viper stared at the beam heading straight for his chest. He closed his eyes and braced himself.

"NO!" A voice caught his attention as something went in front of him. He opened his eyes just in time to see his brother rush in front of him, and take the shot. He gasped as the shot went straight through his chest. Viper felt the force of the beam, but it didn't hit him; seeing his brother like this… this hurts more than taking the shot. Vortex returned with everyone below, only to stare in shock as to what had happened. Hiccup and Astrid grunted as they looked up to see Damian being shot in the chest.

 _Music ends..._

"BROTHER!" Viper rushed up and knelt to his collapsed brother. There was a gaping hole in his chest. Damian coughed up some blood as he tried to breathe.

"...bro…" he whispered as he caught a glance of Viper.

"Aw, cmon! Can people not die when I'm not around? Seriously, it gets super annoying, and it makes me look bad!" Vortex became incredibly annoyed at first, but his saddened gaze returned immediately.

"Stay with me bro!" Viper put his paws on Damian's wound, but that did little.

"...it's...okay...brother…" Damian whispered, slightly smiling. The pain in his chest was unbearable.

"NO IT'S NOT!" Viper shouted angrily at him, which he chuckled to.

"...bro…listen…I… need to...tell you something..." Damian coughed.

"NO, DO NOT TALK LIKE THAT!" Viper wanted ignore what he was about to say. Tears flowing down his face.

"...defeat…Barrage…save…your friends…be…the hero…redeem yourself…for our…sake…..and… the world's…" Damian closed his eyes and turned his head slowly. The coldness within ceased, as well as his breathing.

"no no no no NO NO NO NO NO NO!" Viper shook his brother's body, trying to wake him up. No avail… He cried into his chest, sobbing tears down the bloody chest. All around had tears in their eyes as a hero fell. Barrage on the other hand, contemplated something while smiling evilly. _'Viper had a brother? I guess that adds more to the joy of it, I suppose'._

Suddenly, Damian's body slowly turned into a pile of ash. The blood falling to the ground in a puddle. Viper watched his brother's body disintegrate into a pile of ash before him. A negative feeling began to emerge within him. He floated up to the top of the ring; the magma behind him fueling his burning hate.

 _Music: Bone to Pick (by Drop Off) plays._

" **YOU…",** Viper's voice got dark and caught Barrage's attention. All of a sudden, his body enveloped in a inferno, yet he wasn't burning. His eyes yellow, and full of hatred towards Barrage. He screamed and omg inferno rose up, increasing his power. He thrusted his paws out. Instantly, the fire he generated accelerated towards Barrage. Barrage covered his face as the flames engulfed him.

" **I'LL KILL YOU, AND YOU CAN BURN IN HELL!"** Viper yelled in pure rage as he kept the attack up. He let all his energy, anger, and focus into that attack. He screamed as it increased.

"When the hell did this turn into Dragon Ball Z?" Vortex asked himself as the attack continued. After a minute of pure rage, Viper fell onto his knees on the ring top. The flames around him ceased, and he wheezed for breath. He looked at the smoke cloud ahead. It covered everything where Barrage once stood. When it dissipated, there was no sign of Barrage.

 _Music ends..._

"Did he do it?" Vortex looked around and saw nothing. Hopes rose as no sign of the murderer was seen. All of a sudden, a dark laughter filled the skies around, then:

"You are all so naive, because this whole time-", Barrage appeared behind Viper, a sword of darkness in his hand.

"Viper, beh-!" Vortex tried to call out, but it was far too late. Barrage thrusted his sword into Viper's heart. Viper gasped is the sword went straight through the other side of his body. Viper was then pushed into the magma below. He was falling down, but surprisingly, had a warm smile as he fell.

' _Did I do it, bro? Did I do a good job at trying?'_ Viper spoke in his mind to himself.

' _Yes, brother. You did well! Cmon! Mother and Father are waiting!'_ Damian's voice echoed in his head.

' _Alright bro!'_ "I'm… coming home…" he muttered as body slowly turned into ash and plummeted into the magma, never to be seen heard of again.

"NOOOOO!" Vortex cried out as his friend fell into the pit below. Tears fell from his muzzle as he could feel Viper die. A feeling of justice, vengeance… hate... made itself known. He had to fight to avenge all who have perished, and to right the wrong that was committed. He slowly stood up from right next to his friends.

"So… are you gonna fight me or?" Barrage looked down at Vortex.

He smirked, tears stopping as he wiped them away, "Yeah! I will! But first let me tell you something."

"And that is?" Barrage raised a scaly eyebrow

Vortex floated upon the volcano's ring, landing in front of Barrage, "Within my life, I had served many roles, surprisingly a lot of it in law. I once served as a Judge, once part of the Jury. But now?-", Vortex's eyes glowed blue as a blue spear formed in his hand. He smirked as Barrage raised an eyebrow.

 _Music: Androphonovania (Windhive cover) plays..._

"NOW, I SERVE AS THE EXECUTIONER!" Vortex yelled as he threw the spear and charged at Barrage. Barrage barely managed to dodge the thrown spear as it zoomed past his face. He was then met with a hard punch in the face. Barrage returned with multiple blows to the chest. They continued to fight in the air while the rest of the Riders watched in amazement.

"Their so fast and powerful!" Astrid gazed.

"Yeah, and I thought Vortex was kinda lazy," Hiccup said as he watched. All of a sudden, Fishlegs jolted upright, gasping for breath.

"Woah, hey! Fishlegs! Glad to see your okay!" Hiccup shouted as they approached him.

"W-What happened-?" He noticed the raging battle, "W-What's going on?!"

"To give you the rundown: Barrage is here, he killed Damian and Viper, now he's up against Vortex; who's doing surprisingly better than all of us, seeing as he is in heavy armor," Hiccup said in a nutshell.

"That's horrible!," Fishlegs cried.

"Yes, but now we have to see if Vortex will be able to defeat or at least weaken Barrage," Hiccup spoke as he looked up at the two fighter. The battle raged on for minutes as Vortex and Barrage were locked in a martial arts and sword match against each other. Both of them not giving any ground. Barrage had several bruises all over his body, while Vortex's armor was slightly shattered. In a instant, Barrage went behind Vortex and kicked him into the mountain side. Vortex grunted as he hit the ground. His armor shattered, but that gave him more of a speed advantage. He floated back up to Barrage's level and continued the fight, throwing and dodging every attack at him. This went on for several minutes, neither yielding until they landed on the ring. They both could feel the heat pulsating on their faces and bodies.

"Heh, your strong!" Vortex smiled as he breathed.

"You, too," Barrage took in a few breaths.

"What do you say about ending this with one final attack. ALL OUT!" Vortex smirked as he made a fist and raised it up.

Barrage did, too, "you're on!" They both flew high into the air and prepared their massive attacks.

"What are they doing?" Astrid asked as they watched them. Then, the skies and ground began to rumble as they charged up their attacks.

"Ultimate Shadowstrike!" Barrage fired an immense amount of energy at Vortex.

Vortex threw his palm out, and yelled, "Dragon's Bane!" Instantly, a beam of light fired from his palm and collided with the dark. They ground shook beneath them as the skies roared. Lightning struck all around as the thunders roared.

"THEY ARE GONNA DESTROY US!" Fishlegs screamed. Toothless ran up to Hiccup and shielded him from anything that might be of harm.

"THIS IS YOUR END, KID!" Barrage yelled as he pressured on the attack.

"It's not o-over until one of us surpasses the other!" Vortex returned, struggling against the beam of darkness. Sweat made itself known on his face.

"Your right! CHAOS CHAIN!" Barrage's attack increased against Vortex. He, unfortunately, couldn't take the beam and it collided into him. Vortex cried in pain as it engulfed him, ripping apart his flesh.

"No!" Hiccup watched as Vortex fell onto another ledge. Barrage flew down to him and grabbed him by the neck.

 _Music ends..._

"I'm impressed, kid; really, I am. Your power is anything beyond what I have seen here in this realm. You did well, and for that you will not die… yet. I want you to see what I have in store for you!" Barrage laughed as he dropped Vortex and approached the top. Toothless fired a plasma blast at Barrage. He quickly smacked it back at Toothless. It hit him with full force and stunned the dragon.

"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup cried as he rushed to his dragon.

Vortex could barely look up at the top. That attack drained his strength completely, and now…

 _Music: Ultra Instinct Theme (Geek Music Version) plays..._

"THERE IS NO STOPPING THE DARKNESS!" Barrage laughed maniacally as he dropped the crystal into the pool of magma below. As soon as the crystal plummeted underneath, it shattered. A large dark beam shot up from the chamber into the sky. The area was then covered in a darkness as a laugh echoed throughout the land. All were able to hear it, and all trembled at the sound of it.

All the heroes remaining watched as a dragon shrouded in darkness slowly emerged from the chamber below. The dragon slowly ascended to the skies above. When he spread his wings, it lifted to reveal a terrifying dragon. It's scales were similar of that to Spyro's, just much more dark and scarred. He had a vicious snout, long set of wings, a vicious tail, and claws ready at the go. He laughed as he touched down on the ground.

" **IT WORKED! HAHAHA! I'M OUT! I AM FREE FROM THAT DAMN PRISON!"** He laughed as darkness enveloped the lands. Barrage knelt as Malefor looked down upon him.

"It is done," Barrage spoke.

" **Yes, and you have done me well. You will now and forever be known as Barrage, the Nightmare Bringer!"** Malefor spoke as he stretched.

"Thank you, master, but what about them?" Barrage life's his head and pointed at the heroes.

Malefor glanced at them. **"Leave them, they are weak, broken. They could not fight us even at their best!"**

"Of course," Barrage replied.

Malefor looked away, **"Come now, my servant! It is time to wreak havoc across the lands!"** Barrage nodded and looked away, ready to take off. They began to fly away from the Edge.

 _Music ends..._

Vortex slowly, and painfully, stood up. He glanced over to the injured Spyro and Cynder, as well as the rest of the team.

' _I'm sorry, Ignitus… I...I've failed you,'_ Vortex shed a tear.

' _Calm yourself! Others may be lost, but accepting defeat like this will assure the death of other!'_ The Chronicler spoke in his head.

' _How can I?! I've failed your request, and now Malefor has broken loose from his prison! We've lost…',_ Vortex hung his head.

' _VORTEX! USE YOUR STRENGTH! How would others want to see you?!'_ Vortex looked back at his friends.

' _Strong…'._

' _Yes, now enact on that feeling and push through! Embrace the light!'_ And with that, the Chronicler's voice disappeared. Vortex chuckled.

' _Your right… I need to be strong, for the others! For the world! I must protect my friends! I have to- NO! I must…'_. Vortex's eyes began to glow a bright white as a feeling of hope burned within him.

"...embrace the light."

* * *

Yay! I finished this on my vacation time! I might come back and re-edit this chapter for any mistakes, so if something seems different in the future, that's why.

The final battle continues! Tune in next time to see how the final battle turns out!

Also, I'm leaving a YouTube link on the music (god this feels like a YouTube video lol). Please PM me if the links do not work for you: (won't work)

Native Faith:  watch?v=mFCnrad7FuE.

Bone to Pick:  watch?v=d4uSC93BcC0.

Ultra Instinct Theme (Geek Music version):  watch?v=sDA0OW6WpX4.

Androphonovania (Windhive Cover [this had to be a Soundcloud link, sorry]):  /bloodhungrycake/androidphonelovania-mk-ii.

R&R and have a nice day! :D


	15. Chapter 15: Embrace the Light

The plot thickens… with the demise of Viper and Damian, do the Dragonriders, Vortex, Spyro, and Cynder have a chance, now that Malefor has been revived? Or will they perish? Find out…

P.S: this chapter will be short to build up hype for the next chapter (which could be the last). Honestly, I'm sad, yet super happy to see this series finish! This has been a super successful run for me, and I'm grateful for all of you readers who continue to read what I produce! (SERIOUSLY, EVERYONE! I WANT TO HEAR FEEDBACK ON HOW I DO MY WORK, AS THAT WILL DEFINITELY HELP!)! :D

* * *

' _I'm sorry, Ignitus… I...I've failed you,'_ Vortex shook his head as a tear fell on his muzzle.

' _Calm yourself, young one! Do not give up! Keep pushing forward!'_ The Chronicler spoke in his head.

' _How can I?! I've failed your request, and now Malefor has broken loose from his prison! It's over… We've lost…',_ Vortex hung his head, small amounts of blood were dripping from his lip.

' _VORTEX! STOP SPEAKING LIKE THAT AND USE YOUR STRENGTH! How would the others want to see you?!'_ The Chronicler yelled in his head. Vortex faced the direction of his friends, they were all staring at the sight of Malefor.

' _Strong…' he replied._

' _Yes, now enact on that feeling and push through the darkness! Embrace the light!'_ And with that, the Chronicler's voice disappeared. Vortex chuckled.

' _Your right… I need to be strong, for the others! For the world! I must protect my friends! I have to- NO! I must…'_. Vortex's eyes began to glow a bright white as a feeling of hope burned within him.

"...embrace the light."

* * *

 _Back with Malefor and Barrage_

"Where will we go, master?" Barrage asked as they lifted off the ground.

" **To find a suitable work area, yours is too small for me. Come now, my servant. There is much work to be do-"** Malefor tried to speak but was cut off by something unexpected.

 _Music: Love Coloured Master Spark (Intense Metal) by FalKKonE plays..._

Instantly, a bright white light shot up into space behind them and encompassed the area around them, including Dragons Edge. They shielded their eyes to see what was causing such a show. It appeared that the warrior Barrage had face earlier was not quite done with them yet, as he was in the center of the light… and causing it.

"Ugh! What is that?!" Barrage yelled out in agony, mostly from his eyes.

Malefor watched it for a moment, ' _ **well, this could get interesting…'**_

All the conscious Riders watched as Vortex generated this immense amount of energy and rose up in it. Everything about him was encompassed in the white light. They attempted to stare in awe, but had to shield their eyes as well from the brightness.

"What is he doing?!" Astrid yelled.

"I don't have any idea!" Hiccup and Fishlegs screamed out at the same time.

"Whatever he's doing, I hope it's for the good of everyone!" Hiccup yelled as the light continued. This pressed on for a several minutes before it sort of ended. There was still a bright white light hovering above the volcano. Everyone looked to see Vortex glowing a beautiful white hue. He slowly looked down at his hands and looked at himself before looking forward at the destructive duo.

" **You are is persistent, I will give you that,"** Malefor spoke. Vortex made no reply, but continued to stare with cold eyes.

Barrage growled in annoyance, "ENOUGH OF THIS!" He screamed as he fired his Shadowstrike at Vortex. As the beam came closer, Vortex didn't move a muscle.

"VORTEX! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Hiccup screamed. Instead of listening, Vortex let the wave charge at him. Just as it was about to make contact with him, Vortex smacked out of the air, redirecting it away from anyone as it crashed into the sea. Everyone was stunned by the move, while Malefor smirked slightly, _**I take that back. This could be very interesting…'.**_ Vortex then raised his palm and fired his Dragon's Bane at Barrage, but this one was different. This one was much more precise,concentrated, and much faster. Barrage's eyes widened as the beam approached him, but had little time to react. The wave hit him with full force in the chest region. He cried out in pain as he fell to the ground at sonic speeds. All the Dragonriders watched in pure amazement as Barrage fell to the ground. Malefor watched Barrage fall, then looked back at Vortex. For once, Malefor felt scared, but didn't show it.

" **Tell me, young one, what are you?"** Malefor raised a scaly eyebrow.

Vortex smirked, "I am the last hope of the light. The peacemaker of wars. I am truth, justice, and defender of the light." He raised his fists to shoulder length as his aura growed, "I, AM A SUPER SA-! No, wait…" his aura ceased as he put a paw under his chin.

"That's copyrighted… hmm…" he muttered as he pondered.

Malefor grew annoyed, **"well?"**

Vortex put a finger up to halt Malefor, "just one sec."

" **I grow tiresome of your wait, boy. SPEAK UP!"** Malefor beckoned. Vortex kept quiet for a few moments before smiling and snapping his fingers.

He looked back at Malefor and smiled, "alright, I'll tell you who I am, but first…". He raised his palm high above his head. On the ground, the Riders saw an aura grow from the unconscious Spyro and Cynder as they floated above the ground to Vortex's level. When they got to his level, he smiled as he lifted his arms to make a 'T'. A beam of light fired from his hands, aimed at the two dragons. Both jolted awake and arced their backs as it hit them, but it did not harm them. Instead, they became encompassed in the light until they were surrounded by an orb of light. This built up for a few moments before it exploded in a white brilliance. Malefor shielded his eyes from the blast of light, but when he looked back, his eyes widened.

Floating next to Vortex, were Spyro and Cynder, but reformed. Both still held their bodies features, but they have been completely reformed. Spyro's body was much bulkier and stronger than before, he also had a purple hue to his glow around him. His wings were larger and tail longer. His muzzle, was slightly larger than before; part of his purple muzzle was repainted with a golden ring around it. Cynder had similar features, only her aura had more of a white glow, which raised Malefor's eyebrow. Both of their claws and fangs were sharper, and their abilities power increased.

Malefor began to panic, especially when Vortex's voice caught his attention, "I want you to know who I am…", he stretched his arm out, and a white spear appeared in his paws. He gripped it in his paws and pointed it at Malefor. His aura blared once again triumphantly, "I AM VORTEX! DEFENDER OF THE REALMS!" He chucked the spear at Malefor at high speeds. It made contact with Malefor and exploded in a white light. He cried as he recoiled back from the blast. Spyro and Cynder followed pursuit, while Vortex looked down at the Dragonriders. He launched a small orb of light at them. When it hit them, everything flashed for a moment before fading instantly. Everyone looked down at themselves and their dragons to see they were fully healed! Ruffnut and Tuffnut groaned as they regained consciousness, and looked up at Vortex.

"IT'S AN ANGEL! ARE WE IN VALHALLA?!" Tuffnut screamed.

"Dragonriders, Barrage is at his weakest point. Defeat him at all costs!" Vortex spoke as he flew away. Everyone got up on their dragons and went into the air as they saw the impact sight where Barrage had landed. Barrage winced as he got up from the crater, and looked up at the Dragonriders.

"It's over, Barrage! Give up!" Hiccup commanded.

Barrage snarled, "NEVER!" He charged up at the Dragonriders. He blasted the area with his chaos blasts attacks, but that blast he sustained earlier drained some of his power. The Riders were able to dodge his weaker attacks as they pressed on. Barrage took blow after blow of attacks, yet never fell.

 _Music ends as we shift positions..._

Malefor regain control after the spear hit him. He looked to see a small black mark on his scales where the spear impacted him. He quickly looked back up at the three heroes of light. He growled as he prepared himself for the fight of his life.

 _Music: Ultimate Battle (English edition) by We.B plays…_

Malefor roared as he fired blasts of corrupted fire at the trio. They all dodged the attack as they fired their elemental abilities.

Spyro noticed the power increase and smiled, "I guess this is for those gems, huh?"

Vortex chuckled, "I suppose". They regained their composure as they pressed on the fight. Cynder flew around Malefor, circling around to where he was unable to track or hit her down.

" **What is this?!"** He screeched. Cynder showed her claws as she swung her paws and claws at lightning speeds. Malefor roared as they buried deep within his scales.

" **You wretch!"** He screamed as he whacked her with his tail. She recoiled backwards, but quickly regained her control. She smiled when she didn't have a scratch on her. Malefor's eyes darted to Barrage, who was dealing with the Riders.

" **ASSISTANT! COME TO ME, QUICKLY!"** He screamed. Barrage looked up to his master, then back to the Riders.

"Well, this battle will be short lived!" He smirked as he unleashed a massive wave of dark energy. The area of effect knocked the Riders into the grounds below, forcing them out of range. Barrage flew up to his master, who smirked back to the trio. They seemed unphased by it, however.

" **I think we should end this like last time, don't you think, Spyro?"** Malefor smiled wickedly.

"Of course, but this time! You're going down for good!" Spyro yelled as they all built up the energy within themselves. Then, the skies darkened even more than before as the three could sense the powerful dark energy building within Malefor and Barrage.

" **This is your end!"** Both Malefor and Barrage screamed as they shot a black and purple laser from their muzzle or palms. The trio countered with their own, as it merged into one unified, immense beam. The beams made contact, which caused a huge roar of power. The clouds and waters parted away, as trees were blown with incredible force. The Riders below had difficulty in staying upright to watch.

"THEIR POWER IS BEYOND ANYTHING I'VE EVER SEEN!" Fishlegs screamed, since the roars of the wind around them deafened them.

"I HOPE THIS WILL DO THE TRICK!" Astrid yelled back as the beam struggle continued above. The lasers were barely giving any ground, occasionally moving slightly from one side to the other. The heroes grunted as they kept it it, while Malefor and Barrage laughed as they added some pressure.

"TIME TO END THIS!" Barrage screamed. He ceased the beam from one of his paws and moved it to position it somewhere else. He smiled, "TRY TO COUNTER US WITH THIS!" Barrage then fired his Shadowstrike ability… at the Riders. All watched and scrambled to get out of the way, but it was no effect as the forces kept them grounded. Hiccup glanced over to Astrid, who simultaneously did the same thing to him. They both locked eyes for a moment. They gave a soft smile to each other, even though impending doom was upon them.

"I guess this is the end, huh?" Astrid spoke softly.

"Yeah, guess so," Hiccup returned.

"Hiccup, I… I really, really lo-," Astrid spoke.

"MOVE!" A voice caught their attention as a speeding white glare from above rushed down and took the shot. They all watched in pure terror, as Cynder rushed in and took the shot, just like she did with Spyro. She screamed in agony for a few moments as the blast consumed her. Cynder fell at high speeds into the ground, the blast fully taken.

"CYNDER!" Everyone rushed to the injured dragoness. When she fell unconscious, she had reverted to her previous form, and her glow had ceased. All her newly impressive features dissipated, and her body shrunk down to what it was before. Hiccup examined her wounds, only to make a chilling discovery: she was still alive!

"CYNDER'S STILL ALIVE!" Hiccup gave a small cheer, as others breathed out a sigh of relief. For the two heroes remaining, this was different. They both watched Cynder swoop down to sacrifice herself and save their friends. Vortex watched as she fell to the earth, and the others rush up to her. He looked back at Malefor and Barrage, who laughed evilly as they upped the intensity of their attack. Vortex grunted as he syphoned more energy into the attack. He heard Spyro mutter something under his breath. Vortex gave a slightly confused glance to Spyro, only to see him shaking. He cut off a lot of energy on their attack, forcing Vortex to do all of the heavy work for a moment.

"Hey, Spyro! I could really use a ha-!"

"...rt her," Spyro muttered.

" **What was that, boy?! I COULDN'T HEAR YOU OVER YOU CRYING TO YOURSELF!"** Malefor laughed as he upped his attack. Something triggered within Spyro, as his aura grew brighter. Vortex could see something burning within Spyro, but whatever it was, it was fueling his power increase!

"...you hurt my friends… you have killed _innocents…_ you hurt _HER…_ " Spyro lifted his head to face Malefor and Barrage. All of a sudden, a red aura infused itself with the burning white, he screamed as loud as he could, " **YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR SINS!"** He fired a purplish- red laser that far surpassed Vortex's. Barrage and Malefor panicked as they moved their attack to try and counter Spyro's. When the beams collided, they shot off each other, but instead of diverging away, they continued on their path. Both beams collided with their intended targets. Barrage and Vortex were able to dodge out of the way in time, but Malefor and Spyro weren't as lucky. Both beams went through them both, as they howled in pain until it ended with a large flash. They landed on the ground, a dust cloud generated around them.

 _Music ends_

After a few minutes, Vortex and the Dragonriders got up from the ground and looked around. Vortex went to the are he thought Malefor hovered over, and cheered at something.

"Guys… he did it! MALEFOR IS DEAD!" Vortex jumped, but he got not reply. He grew curious, "uhh… guys..?"

"... that's great and all, but… come here," Astrid's voice came through a dust cloud. Vortex's eyes widened as he rushed to where the voice came from. Dust clouded his his vision, but he didn't care. He needed to see what happened. He ran as fast as he could, his heart pounding like there was no tomorrow. As soon as he was in sight, the Riders looked at him with a saddened expression.

"Spyro… was able to kill Malefor, but…" Hiccup cut away and looked behind him at something, "Spyro sacrificed himself to do so. Vortex.. he… he's… dead…".

Vortex held a very shocked and disbelieving expression, but he looked where Hiccup was gesturing at to see… a battle worn, purple dragon lying on his side; Spyro, was not breathing…

* * *

Ta-dah! Chapter done!

Music:

Love colored master spark: YouTube/watch?v=dQywmChKtCg.

Ultimate Battle (english edition): watch?v=0Ms49WIuL-M.

Hope you enjoyed! R&R and have a nice day! :D


	16. Chapter 16: Actions have Consequences

Cliffhangers… gotta hate them.

I hate to break it to everyone, but this chapter is gonna be the last chapter in this series. It's coming to a close! D:

The 1st chapter of my new series is out! check it out now! If you have any questions about this series and the making of it, PM me! I want to make a QnA for this series before it closes!

 **PLEASE READ THAT FIRST BEFORE THIS CHAPTER** , you might find something very interesting about a character!

* * *

"Spyro… he… he's dead… he sacrificed himself to stop Malefor before he brought chaos to the archipelago," Hiccup spoke softly. As the dust settled, Vortex saw a battle worn, battered purple dragon lying on his side. Numerous scrapes, bruises, and chunks of scales were gone. His scales were coated in his blood. The sight was horrible, Vortex looked away; a tear filled his eyes.

"And… Cynder?" Vortex glanced to the dragoness lying in a similar state.

"She's alive, just unconscious," Hiccup stood up and placed a hand on Vortex's shoulder, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Vortex spoke as he faced away from them, "after all, it's _someone else_ who needs to feel sorry for what he's done." Vortex could see Barrage get up from the ground, groaning as he did. Barrage looked at Malefor and darted to him. He examined Malefor for a moment before facing the Riders and Vortex with a cold hearted stare.

"YOU FOOLS! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Barrage screeched.

"Stopping a great evil from tearing apart this world, but besides that, not much," Vortex responded in a somewhat joking attitude.

"Barrage," Hiccup spoke. Barrage glared at him as Toothless walked up next to him, "you don't have to do this! You can change! You can stop all of this!"

Barrage stared at him for a few moments before laughing coldly, "heheheh... _heheheheheh_... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, man... you really think I can change? Let me tell you something then: I enjoyed every bit of what I had done, and I'll be honest: it felt… _good…_ ".

 _Music: Atonement by Ray Casarez plays..._

Hiccup made a fist as he hopped on Toothless, "THAT. IS. IT!" Toothless fired a plasma blast that knocked Barrage back. Everyone was stunned by Hiccup's sudden change of emotion. Barrage recoiled away from the hit, and held his stomach where he got hit. Unlike the first time that plasma blast hit, this one was a lot worse. He grunted and looked up, only to see Vortex power up and charge at him, delivering an fist underneath his snout that sent him flying. Both Hiccup and Vortex took off from the battleground and followed.

Astrid ran and hopped onto Stormfly, "C'mon guys, we need to keep them from doing something stupid!" She flew towards them, only to turn back as she noticed something. The others had not moved as all.

"What are you all doing?!" She yelled as powerful blast could be heard in the background.

"Astrid… if it's all the same to you, someone needs to be here for Cynder when she regains consciousness and sees Spyro," Fishlegs spoke in a solemn voice.

She stared for a few moments before nodding and going after the two angered fighters. Their battle took them to the top of the volcano, where she could see Barrage trying to fight back against Vortex and Hiccup, but was unable to land a hit on them. It got to a point where they were just beating him up without a fight. Their fight lead Astrid and Stormfly to the top of the volcano, where Barrage made a rough landing. Vortex, Hiccup, and Toothless landed near him. Barrage wobbled on his knees, as he looked up with a pained expression. All of them gave Barrage a cold stare, one that brought back the memories of his father before he was banished.

 _Music ends..._

"Well, what are you waiting for? You want me to 'pay for my sins', then DO IT! KILL ME!" Barrage screamed at them all.

"No…" Hiccup replied sternly.

"Even though you do have to pay for your sins, there is a big difference between justice… and revenge," Vortex continued as his aura disappeared, his fur returning from a white to his normal grey. Barrage just started at them for a few moments, before laughing. They both looked at each other in confusion.

"Oh, you heroes. **YOUR ALL JUST THE SAME!** " He screeched as he used his claws to deliver a strike across Vortex's chest. Vortex yelped in pain as Barrage then grabbed his ankle and punched the ground. The small rock they stood on began to crumble as it broke apart. The two began to fall into the magma below. Hiccup ran and caught Vortex's arm to keep him from falling, as they dangled from eminent death.

"Hiccup… let me go!" Vortex winced.

"Never! Toothless!" Hiccup called his dragon. Toothless ran over to them and bit the back of Vortex's clothing to help pull him up. Astrid then landed next to him, startling him.

"Astrid?!" Hiccup started to say, but saw her hop off Stormfly, who then ran over to help Vortex. As their dragons did that, Hiccup pulled out his Inferno prototype. He stared at the handle for a moment, _'I never thought I would have to do this… but it's the only way to end this madness! I just hope I can forgive myself for this in the future'._

"I really hope you know what you're doing here, Hiccup," Astrid shouted as she could see the contempt running in his eyes. As Vortex was being pulled, Barrage clawed his leg, making Vortex wince as he was pulled up. As soon as Barrage was in sight, Hiccup clicked a button, and the fiery blade flourished from the hilt, the metal then ignited into a red hot blaze. He stared at the fire for a moment, as the fire from the blade fueled himself to do what has to be done. Hiccup could see that Barrage was trying to do everything he can to bring Vortex down with him, he gripped the handle tighter in his hands. A ravaging warcry echoed the area, Vortex, Astrid, and their dragons watched as Hiccup rammed the blazing Inferno into Barrage's right shoulder. Everyone looked stunned by the move as Barrage gurgled in pain.

"This is for everyone that you killed!" Hiccup yelled. He pulled the sword out of Barrage's shoulder, the flames dying down from being coated in blood. Barrage gasped as that happened; his grip on Vortex began to slip. Soon, he was losing the feeling in his arm as he let go of Vortex's ankle. He fell into the boiling pit below, and plunged into it. Vortex and Hiccup were panting for breath as they watched Barrage disappear into the magma. They watched so see if anything happened, but besides the heat from underneath them, nothing else happened.

"You okay?" Hiccup asked as he and Astrid gave him a hand.

Vortex pulled himself up and looked down at himself for a moment before looking back at Hiccup. He nervously replied with, "yeah! I'm good!"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow as he looked at Vortex; he was battered and slightly wounded, but he was taking it well. Hiccup assumed he had everything under control as he hopped onto Toothless, "we should regroup with the others." Hiccup and Astrid took off from the ground with their dragons and flew down the volcano, while Vortex looked as his chest wound. It was deep, some of his fur soaked in sweat and blood. He rousled his fur to cover up the wound as he teleported down to meet his friends. They were all crowded around the two legendary dragons, looking down at Cynder and tears filled for Spyro. Vortex looked away as he approached Cynder. He knelt down and put his hands on her side, his hands then glowed a soft green. He kept it on her until she began to move. He removed his hands as she opened her eyes. Cynder groaned as she got off of the ground, rubbing her head.

"What happened?" She asked as she looked at herself.

"I got this, guys. When you took the hit from Barrage and blacked out, you must have lost your 'perfected light' form," Vortex explained.

"Perfected light?" Everyone asked.

"Yeah, that's what I'm gonna call it for now, until I find a better name for it," Vortex shrugged.

Cynder looked at the hellish battlefield in front of her, "what happened here?"

"When you went down, Spyro used all his power and rage to fight against Malefor and kill him," Vortex said.

"That's great! Where is he?" Cynder looked around for him. She then noticed everyone held a solemn expression when she asked.

"When… he did that, Malefor fired a counter attack at the same exact time. The two beams scraped each other instead of colliding. One hit and killed Malefor… the other…" Vortex moved out of the way so Cynder could see Spyro lying on the ground, "did the same for Spyro…".

"no... no no no NO NO NOOO!" She ran to him and knelt next to him. She did everything a dragon should to check for life, but there was no sign of life for him. She buried her head into his chest and mourned, her cries being muffled in his scaly chest. Everyone else stood away to possibly avoid anything from the dragoness.

"I feel so bad for her," Fishlegs said with a tear down his cheek.

"I'll talk to her, just… give her some room," Vortex said as he walked up to a mourning Cynder. She lifted her head, her sorrow becoming more audible to the world. She could see the shadow of Vortex stop right next to her.

"Tell me, *sniff* why didn't you heal him when you had the chance?" Cynder asked rather calmly to Vortex

"I… *sigh* by the time I had a chance to help… he was already dead. I'm so sorry, there was nothing I could do…" Vortex hung his head. They looked at Spyro for a moment, Cynder still holding him tight in her arms. Vortex looked at his wound, thinking of someway he could help. Then, an idea reached his mind.

"I think I know someone who might be able to help, but we have to leave, now! Grab Spyro, and be prepared to say your final goodbyes, we're probably not coming back," Vortex said as he teleported to the Riders.

"Well?" Fishlegs asked.

"We're leaving. I know someone that might be able to save Spyro! But… we're probably not gonna be back, so I guess this is our farewell," Vortex placed a hand on everyone's shoulder. He ran back to Cynder, and helped her out with Spyro the best he could.

"So, I guess this is it huh?" Hiccup said, with a soft smile as he approached the dragoness.

"Yeah, it was fun and all! I Just hope the if next time we see each other, it's under much better circumstances!" Cynder tried to smile, but grievance still held her heart. Everyone, including their dragons gave either a wave, or small croak of goodbye.

"Alright! Hold on to me!" And with that, the three disappeared. Hiccup stared at them as they vanished, he was gonna miss them.

"Think we'll see them again?" Astrid approached Hiccup, holding his hand up to his chest.

"I don't think so, but I hope we do. We need allies like them, perhaps there are somethings left from those old days and possibly Mertazlok that we can find to up our game!" Hiccup hypothesized.

Astrid gave a small laugh, "there you go with your theories again". As the other Dragonriders left to their homes after a long day, Hiccup and Astrid watched an upcoming sunset together. They embraced each other as the skies turned golden, watching a beautiful day's end together. Hiccup smiled as the threat was finally over, they had won, but at a cost.

"Why did you do it?" Astrid's voice snapped him back into reality.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Hiccup asked in confusion.

"You killed Barrage. I never seen you… enact on that kind of action before, why? You usually want to do this without casualties no matter what," Astrid looked at him.

His face grimaced, "Astrid, he killed hundreds, possibly even thousands of people, including our friends! He was far too powerful for anyone to lock up, even if we found a way to remove his abilities. He had to pay for what he has done, justice was served, he paid the price," Hiccup just looked at the sea.

"...what about Viper and Damian?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup glanced back to the volcano, "we'll make a tombstone for them and their sacrifice. We will not forget all that they have done". Astrid sighed and just embraced him, still looking at the golden skies, as a new dawn overlooked them in the future. Their tale with Spyro and Cynder were over, it was time to look forward for what was in store for them.

* * *

 _Within the magma…_

Barrage could feel everything falling off of him as it burned. It hurt, no, BURNED to breathe as every part of him was melting. He then realized he had one chance to possibly get out of this alive. Focusing all of his energy, he used parts of his reserve strength to initiate a final teleport. He arrived in his chambers, where he let out a howl of pain from everything. His entire body was charred, singed, and black. His tail and left wing have completely burned off, while his right remained somewhat intact. His right eye was burned out, and his left was blurry, but still there. That wound from that human's weapon really did a number on him, especially in that lava. How could he wield a weapon _made_ of fire? While he thought about it, his left hand then fell off of his arm. It slowly then disintegrated to a pile of ash. He screamed in pain as he sat on a stone seat, seeing how he would probably burn a wooden stool. He tried to catch his breath, but that magma made it nearly impossible to do so. He then noticed a pile of books and scrolls on his workbench.

"Heh, they did it," he rasped out as he gripped his arm in pain. All of a sudden, the tent flaps to his chambers opened to reveal Krogan and Johann. They looked surprised when they saw Barrage.

"My, my, Barrage, sunbathing near the lava pits, I see?" Krogan gave a tease.

"SHUT… UP!" He howled in pain.

"What did happen to you?" Johann inquired.

Barrage growled, "Dragonriders…". All of a sudden, the flap opened again to reveal someone else. He was a tall, menacing looking man with a black beard; his face scarred. He wore a cloak of dragon scales, as if to make him more menacing enough. Barrage's face instantly became fearful of the human, Malefor was scary and menacing enough but he takes the cake.

"That's him, the one we talked about," Johann spoke to the man.

The man scoffed, "he is weak. Kill him".

"W-What?! No, please! I can help!" Barrage backed away from them, but Johann pulled out a dagger, "PLEASE! I CAN STILL FI-!" He was cut off by the dagger penetrating through his heart. He stopped breathing and landed face first before them, dead. He slowly turned into a pile of ash, as the last dragonese was no more… The man looked intrigued about how his body disintegrated when he died, but he didn't really care.

"Here are the texts you asked for, Drago," Johann spoke as he grabbed the piles of books and scrolls. Each read about the mythology and secrets about a 'King of Dragons'.

Drago's smile widened, "it has begun…".

* * *

 _The Chronicler's chambers…_

Vortex and Cynder, carrying a dead Spyro, reappeared within the chambers of The Chronicler. Cynder felt a little dizzy after teleporting, since this was a new feeling for her, but quickly regained her composure as she observed her surroundings. The room was small, but contained a vast amount of books and bookshelves, probably the reason it feels constricting.

"Chronicler! I could use your help!" Vortex called out. Cynder looked around in slight shock, _'huh, so this is who Spyro was talking about'._

"I am here! What has happened?!" The Chronicler shouted when he ran from his studies to them. Cynder got a good look at him. He was a blue dragon, with some metal apparel around him, but nevermind that! She shook the thoughts out of her head as she placed Spyro on the ground, but one stayed in her mind. _'That voice… sound familiar somehow…'._

"Spyro sacrificed himself to stop Malefor, we were gonna see if you could be able to do something?" Vortex asked as he examined the dead dragon.

The Chronicler held a sorrowed expression as he hung his head, "I am sorry, there is nothing I can do for him now".

"PLEASE!" Cynder screamed at him as she ran up and grabbed him, "IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO?! TRADE PLACES? SPELLS? ANYTHING!?"

"I am sorry, young one. It is to late for Spyro…", The Chronicler spoke softly.

Vortex groaned, "I failed once again! I thought I could find something here to help, but I just brought a corpse to my ma-AGH!" Everyone immediately looked at him in shock, as he wobbled back and collapsed on the wall, gripping his chest.

"VORTEX!" Both of them screamed as they ran to the wolf, who now had blood dripping down his lips and muzzle. He coughed up more blood as he looked at his wound. It was _MUCH_ larger and deeper than the last time he looked at it. _'That teleport here… must've caused this… to happen… looks like the gems… can't save me now…'._ A small silver, shaking heart then appeared in front of him, it was cracking itself.

"Heh… that strike… must've done… more damage… than I thought," He laughed as he coughed up more blood, it spilling on the floor, the heart then disappeared.

Cynder caught notice of something, "Vortex, your hand!" Vortex looked at his hand, to see his fingertips starting to turn into a white dust and evaporating in thin air.

"When… people like… me… die… we… turn into dust… and it… cannot be… recovered…", he said as he watched, "so… I guess this… is it… huh..? Another… hero… dead…".

"Please, stay calm! Don't speak! Save your strength! You'll be okay! Right?" Cynder asked. Vortex slightly shook his head, tears began to flow again for Cynder. She hated this so much. Vortex look as his disappearing self, then back at Spyro. Something had to be done, for their sake. A fiery passion filled his soul, as he knew what he had to do. Some of his finger returned when he thought of his final act.

"I'm… gonna die… but… please… allow me to… one last… thing…", Vortex wheezed.

"NO! Just stay there! We'll grab the gems and-!" Cynder tried to speak, but Vortex grabbed her with a shaking paw.

"LISTEN," he coughed, "it's far… too late… for the gems… to save me… so please… just... allow me… to do this… PLEASE..!" He choked up more blood. The two dragons looked at each other for a moment before slowly turning their heads back to him and nodding. He sighed, "help… me up…". They nodded and rushed to his aid, gently helping him stand. They could see his weak legs shake as he stood. His eyes glared white as he raised his arm.

"The let… my final act… be to bring back… the hero of Warfang…", at once, a green glow emerged from both Spyro and Vortex, overpowering the room in a green hue until it ceased. The wounds in Spyro's body were completely healed, and the scars were no more. They looked at Spyro, desperate to see if anything would happen, but nothing did. Then, Spyro's claws began to twitch, as Spyro violently stood up, gasping for breath.

"SPYRO!" Cynder shouted as she left Vortex's side and jumped onto Spyro, embracing him in a tackle hug. She laughed and cried as she embraced him. Spyro looked very startled at first, but when he saw her, he laughed and embraced her back, laughing as well.

"Cynder! Glad to see your okay! Hey, quick question," he looked around to see where he was at, "is this… The Chronicler's chambers?"

"Yeah, Vortex and I had to bring you back here to get you healed up," she pointed at The Chronicler and The wounded Vortex. Vortex laughed for a moment, before falling over on his back on the floor.

"VORTEX!" Everyone shouted as they ran to his side.

"Hey… Spyro… you're… looking better…" he smiled.

"Thanks, but let's get you healed up, now!" Spyro looked around for something to help out.

 _Music plays: In Vain by NyxtheShield_

"Listen… the gems… can't heal… me… at this point... Spyro… in a few moments… I will die… but… I… sacrificed myself… for the greater cause… in this… Chronicler… you know… what… to do… right..?" Vortex gasped out. His chest wound began to make a blood puddle around him. His hands and feet began to disappear into a dusty powder.

"Yes, I do…" The Chronicler nodded with a solemn expression.

"Good… heh… looks like… this… is the end… of my journey… farewell… my friends… it… was nice… to meet you…" Vortex laughed as he spat out more blood, more of his legs and arms disappeared, "at least now… I can rest easy… knowing that… because of me… others… can... live on…..". His body then began to rapidly disappear, as he let out a few tears. _'Sorry, old friend… looks like I couldn't keep my promise… tell the Grand Master… I said goodbye…'._ He then fully disappeared into dust, his blood and tears fell to the ground. The only thing remaining of him was his wardrobe, which flopped onto the ground when he died.

"Wow, barely got to know him, yet I feel like he was my friend for years," Spyro said as he looked down at the torn clothing. The Chronicler walked up and grabbed the clothings. He walked over and placed them within a container.

 _Music ends..._

"I shall keep it here, to honor him and his valiant sacrifice for you," The Chronicler said as he looked back at them.

"It's nice to see you again, Chronicler," Spyro slightly smiled.

"Likewise," The Chronicler replied.

"This reunion is great and all, but how are we gonna get home?" Cynder broke the ice.

"Well… here is the thing about that. As you probably know, I asked Vortex to come and find you two when you vanished from Warfang. At first, everyone, including me, thought you died, but I knew that was not possible since your names never appeared in this book," The Chronicler said as he held a large book, he continued, "and as you probably seen, Vortex has the ability to open breaches and 'teleport', but that's not all he could do".

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked.

"Vortex had the ability to breach time and space. It takes tremendous strength and energy to do, but he can do it. This might be the cause of how he died, the wounds from his battles must have made his condition much worse after he teleported. Truly, he sacrificed his well being for you both. He even tried to teach me how to do it, but I could not learn, nor master the ability. Fortunately, he made a contingency plan in case something like this ever happened. In case he was killed or unable to send you both back to your realm, he gave me this scroll. This will allow us to open a gateway for you to return to Warfang," The Chronicler stated.

Spyro looked at the scroll, "does this allow us to return back here or even Hiccup's realm?" He stared at The Chronicler, _'why does he look and sound so familiar?'_

The Chronicler shook his head, "I am afraid not. Vortex made it to where this will take you back to your realm and your realm only".

"I see," Spyro said as he looked at the scroll.

"What do we have to do?" Cynder asked.

"For you, nothing! I must speak the words out of this scroll for it to work," The Chronicler stated, "follow me". The two legends followed him to a wall. He looked back and faced them, "stand back. I do not want to hurt you with this". They nodded and fell back behind the wise dragon. He opened the scroll, and began to read the words. As he spoke, the wall began to spark a faded greenish-blue color. It intensified as The Chronicler continued speaking the words.

"Alos Tal Viersesi Norol TEMPRESHI!" The Chronicler shouted the last word as the wall exploded into a large arched doorway. The look was mesmerizing as lines swirled into a center mass. The greenish-hue illuminated the room as the three dragons looked at it.

"So this will get us home?" Cynder asked for insurance.

"Yes, but this doorway will not hold for a long period of time," The Chronicler stated as they looked at the doorway again.

Cynder walked up next to Spyro, "C'mon! Let's go!" She teased as she ran through the doorway. Spyro looked confused for a moment before shaking his head and laughed a little. As soon as he was about to enter through the portal, he was stopped.

"Spyro!" The Chronicler shouted behind him. Spyro turned around to see The Chronicler with a sort of a happy smile on his muzzle.

"It was good to see you again, young dragon, I'm glad you were able to stop Malefor from destroying the world," He said. Spyro listened to the voice… could it be… "Ignitus?"

The Chronicler still held his smile, "yes, Spyro. It is I".

"B-But how!?" Spyro shouted in shock

"The original Chronicler brought me here after I sacrificed myself, now I have taken his mantel," They notice the portal fluctuate, "we do not have much time. Please, do me a favor and tell the other Guardians I said goodbye for me?"

Spyro smiled happily, "I will. Oh! And Ignitus?" Ignitus looked at him with a confused look, "it was nice to see you again. You were like a father figure to me, even though my Dragonfly family is technically my adopted one, but… you know what I mean". Ignitus smiled and nodded.

"Goodbye, Ignitus," Spyro said as he walked through the door. After Spyro walked through, it collapsed into nothing, making Ignitus the only one left in the room.

"Goodbye, Spyro. May we meet again". Ignitus walked over to Vortex's clothing and stared at it for a moment, then got back to reading.

* * *

 _Within Warfang; The Dragon Temple…_

Days went by after Spyro managed to pull the exploding planet back together, yet nothing came back from search parties about the whereabouts of Spyro or Cynder. As each day went pass, the hope that they were still alive drained from the souls of everyone, but Sparx and the Guardians refused to give up hope that they may still be alive.

"Still nothing?!" Terrador's voice roared in the temple.

"Y-Yes sir, our team hasn't found anything yet," a mole shook.

"Keep trying!" Terrador spoke.

"S-Sir, I-" the mole tried to speak

"NOW!" Terrador yelled. The mole jumped, saluted, then ran away at high speeds. Terrador sighed, he probably should've handled that in a better way.

"Have your teams found anything yet?" Cyril's voice echoed from behind him.

"Nothing yet, but they're still trying," Terrador said.

"Perhaps we should consider that Spyro and Cynder are dead, as there is only a 11.137% chance of anyone being able to-" Volteer tried to speak.

"I do not care for number! We need to make sure that they are alive, and if they're not, give them a proper burial!" Terrador yelled at the yellow Guardian.

"Guys! GUYS!" a small yellow blur shot into the room, earning a groan from Terrador.

"What is it, Sparx?" Terrador growled in an aggravated manner.

"You need to see this!" Spark fluttered up next to the Earth Guardian.

"Is it another toadstool?" Terrador sarcastically asked.

"NO! It's a big, green doorway that just randomly appeared!" Spark shouted. Everyone perked up at this.

"This could be bad, get everyone on standby! We'll see how this is," Terrador shouted as they followed Sparx. They came into a room, where a green like vortex was spotted. Everyone looked confused about this.

"What is it?" Cyril asked. He quickly glanced at Volteer, "briefly".

"It appeared to be a doorway to somewhere, that somewhere, I'm not sure," Volteer examined the doorway. Cheetahs and some moles began to crowd around them, arming themselves.

"Look! Something's happening!" Sparx shouted as he pointed to the center mass of the doorway. Everyone glanced to see some black, shadowy mass from the other side starting to come through. Everyone became prepared, especially if they meant harm upon the lands. As the shape of the shadows manifested, all could see they both held a form of a dragon.

"This is interesting," Volteer muttered as he watched. Then, they both walked through the other side, revealing to everyone who they were. Everyone dropped their weapons and smiled, happiness flooded the room.

"I can't believe it," Terrador said as he watched the two walk from the doorway.

"Is that..?" A cheetah in the back tried to say as both dragons fully emerged.

"SPYRO!" Sparx shouted as he stot pass everyone and hugged the purple dragon. Everyone except for the Guardians began to cheer as the heroes returned.

"SPARX! I'm so glad you all are okay!" Spyro laughed as his brother tackled him. Cynder then walked up next to the two

"Lamp light," Cynder teased as she looked at the dragonfly.

Sparx glanced over at Cynder and stared her down, "you".

Spyro smiled as he rolled his eyes, "something's will never change".

"It is good to see you, young one, and I must say, well done!" Cyril cheered as he approached the duo.

"Thank you, Cyril," Spyro gave a head bow.

"Where were you?! We were worried sick that you were dead!" Sparx shouted.

"Long story, I fill you in later, but right now, I think we should rest," Spyro stated as he walked.

"Of course," Cyril said.

"Oh! And Cyril?" Spyro said, Cyril turned and faced him, "Ignitus says his final farewells to you all". Cyril had a pause for a moment before nodding and walking off. Spyro turned and walked away to a small room, where the moon outside shone brightly and illuminated the area around him. He looked up at the moon. _'Thank you for being with us when we needed it, Vortex, Viper, and Damian. You will all be missed dearly…'._

* * *

 _Beyond the realm of Time and Space…_

The Grand Master sat in his chair, overlooking the streams of reality. He read the small pads on his laps as he sighed. Behind him, a door opened and heavy footsteps echoed behind him.

"Grand Master! I have news!" A voice rang from behind him. He turned to see his lieutenant standing behind him, holding a data pad.

"Arstrok! What joy to see you here! What news do you bring?" He said as he laughed.

"Sir! It appears Vortex was successful into fixing the distortion," Arstrok saluted.

The Grand Master noticed something about his voice was off, "but, something else happened, didn't it?"

Arstrok sighed as he gave the pad to the Grand Master, "he sacrificed himself to do so". The Grand Master looked at the flashing pad. There was a picture of Vortex smiling on the left. At the top right of the pad has his name. The bottom left read a little bit about his bio, but the main thing was the red word that blinked in the middle that read "DECEASED".

He sighed, "a noble warrior has fallen this day, he didn't keep his promise; he will be missed. On a more particular note. How is project _SUNSET_ doing?"

Arstrok smiled, "very well, actually. I have made contact with him and now he will see his destiny".

"Very good," The Grand Master smiled as he turned to face another pad. This one had another wolf picture with a different name. The Grand Master's smile widened, "continue your work! He will be a valiant asset for us in the future".

 _ **And so, balance has returned between light and dark. Now, peace has been settled in the Archipelago, and Spyro and Cynder have returned to Warfang, but who is Arstrok and the Grand Master? What is their purpose? And what is project: SUNSET? Find out on Sonic: Chaos and Destruction... Avaliable now!**_

* * *

My first completed fanfic! I hope you enjoyed this series! :D

I will be going back and editing past chapters for any mistakes, grammar, or story mistakes/changes.

Like I said probably a hundred times, check out my new series! If you would like to see more from this series, like a prequel or sequel? Tell me NOW! Until then, consider this fanfiction: COMPLETED!

Please R&R and have a nice day! :D


	17. Dragonriders' Destiny QnA

Hi everyone!

This series is done! No more updates unless I absolutely need to! But for now, it's time to answer some questions I was asked through my personal friends and PMs!

 **Q: Why did you create this fanfiction?**

A: Well, to start it off: I fell in love with dragons overall, and I loved HTTYD and Race to the Edge when I was a little younger; Spyro was also really cool, so I thought it would make a good story overall! And it looks like it worked!

 **Q: Was there a motive to this fanfiction?**

A: At first, it was more of a situation where an all powerful being(s) meet a force with little to none of those potentials. It was a great idea at the time, but the more I thought of my future stories and the progression of this one, the more I thought it accidently added another motive. It added another storyline to this plot, one that is currently in the works.

 **Q: Was there an outside or other influence(s) that lead to the production of this series?**

A: Absolutely! I read a lot of fanfictions that helped me build up this series, especially _Anvil of Dawn_ by Starlix; plus the time gap within season 4 and 5 made the scene perfect! I've also read others which had similar things, but they were discontinued with an actually good story in them.

 **Q: Why did you choose the Race to the Edge series over a movie? Wouldn't that be better?**

A: I honestly liked the character development and the time gaps between the seasons rather than the movies. Don't get me wrong, I WANTED to use one of the movies with this, but RTTE worked much better in the end.

 **Q: Why was there a Wind element added to the story?**

A: Aether can do a lot of things, so I added it in the story. Nianque explained that Aether was used to create the shadow form, as well as fear, poison, etc. (please go check them out)!

 **Q: Why call it "Dragonriders' Destiny"?**

A: At first, I wanted to call it "Dawn of the Dragonriders", but that had the same anagram as Dawn of the Dragon. As I continued building up the story, the Dragonriders had to be of some use to the story, so here we are, "Dragonriders' Destiny".

 _ **Going into the story**_

 **Q: Why was Dagur and Heather only on the story for a moment?**

A: I didn't feel as if they were completely needed with the story, as they already had other things going on (reconstruction of their home village)

 **Q: Who are Viper, Damian, and Barrage; and what is the reason for their creation in the story?**

A: there needs to be a villain somewhere, right? To clarify: The Three are a member of the race called "Dragonese", an ancient society that was thought destroyed by early Vikings. They have an organization called the "Orders of Dracoda", a group dedicated to protect, but to also adapt new technologies to everyday life and abilities. Barrage, once a member of the Orders, was banished for works with Nether; some followed his works and were banished as well. Viper is the scout of Barrage until he turned traitor. Damian is the last soldier of his race before it was destroyed. His commander, Magnus, often scolded his laziness.

 **Q: Vortex, what is HIS purpose?**

A: Vortex, funny enough, was suppose to be one of the main protagonist of my new series: Temporal Troubles, but I decided against it overall. Vortex was later reworked to be an agent to a organization that was built to stabilize time and space. While comical in personality, his only goal is to stabilize the timelines. The Chronicler called upon him to return Spyro and Cynder to Warfang, which Vortex manages to complete, but he dies in the process.

 **Q: Can I use these OCs?**

A: Nope, sorry. Actually, PM me if you want to use Vortex within your story, I might be able to extend that to him at least.

 **Q: Why does the OCs have powers like teleportation, magic, elemental fury, etc?**

A: This was to make Barrage more ferocious in battle, as it will gave him the upper hand and make him an overall deadly foe. Viper learned this from Barrage, but his elemental abilities were passed down to him. Damian was never meant to have high end powers like the rest, but was there as more of a footsoldier than anything; a key to unlocking Viper's true potential. Vortex needed these abilities in order to restore balance to the timeline. WIthout them, what he says are hollowed lies. He was never meant to be the most OP guy in all of fanfiction (seeing as how he died in the last chapter and can take mortal attacks), but he needed something.

 **Q: Why magic for Vortex? Shouldn't it be Aether?**

A: maybe, but considering the fact that Vortex was OUTSIDE of the timeline, Aether has little meaning to his overall abilities.

 **Q: How can I imagine the power of "Perfected light"?**

A: Close to the boundaries of Super Saiyan 1 and something like Super Sonic, but a white glow and not gold (trying to keep it not OP).

 **Q: What relevance does the Grand Time Master, Arstrok, and Temporal Troubles coincide with Dragonriders' Destiny?**

A: You will have to read Temporal Troubles to find out ;)

 **Q: What will the future of this series look like? Will there be a sequel to it? Will you go back and rework/remake it?**

A: Well… to answer that. I have given it some thought for a while now, and I have decided: Yes, there will indeed be a sequel to this series, but not now or anytime soon. I'm not sure of the plotline of the story just yet, but I will update everyone when I have an idea or trailer for it! To answer that second part, if I have the time, I will remake it better than now!

* * *

Those were most of the questions that I have received through my time. If I have left something unanswered, PM or leave a REVIEW!

FOR NOW, DRAGONRIDERS' DESTINY IS OFFICIALLY COMPLETED! :D


	18. SEQUEL ANNOUNCEMENT!

**I WANTED TO ANNOUNCE THE SEQUEL, NOW!**

Truth is, I'm already making it (in my mind at least :D). The idea of it is that it will take place after HTTYD 2 (I have not watched #3 yet, but PLAN TO! :D). I will not give any spoilers about the main plot of the story, but please keep in mind, that you WILL ABSOLUTELY NEED to read the story that I'm working on: Dragon Ball X, to understand where this will be aimed at.

In reality, this is like a 3-way crossover between HTTYD, Spyro, and my FF: Dragon Ball X (as of this post, I have 2 chapters completed, and working on the rest of the plot)!

ALSO! I want an opinion on a couple things!

1\. Would you like to see a Spyro X Avatar: the Last Airbender crossover?

2\. Would you like to see the completion of my first ever Fanfic: Undertails?

and 3. Would you like for this to be available on other Fanfiction reading platforms (ie. WattPad)? (regardless, now that I think about it, gonna do it anyway lol)

Tell me by either Private messaging me or giving a review! My school starts within a short time from now, so I'm not going to be as frequent on communication as now, but I will do my best!

Thx! And Have a great day! :D :D :D :D :D :D


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